HMS Reaper and HMS Tjitjalengka visit to New Zealand
Dec 20, 2016 17:11:50 GMT 12
Ian Warren likes this
Post by Dave Homewood on Dec 20, 2016 17:11:50 GMT 12
It seems the Royal Navy aircraft carrier HMS Reaper visited New Zealand in 1945, and transported a group of ex-POW's back to the UK. Here's an interesting story from the NEW ZEALAND HERALD, 21 NOVEMBER 1945
SORRY TO LEAVE
BRITISH PRISONERS
DEPARTURE IN REAPER
MANY WANT TO RETURN
Looking very different, about 200 of the British officers and other ranks who arrived at Auckland about six weeks ago from Japanese prisoner of war camps left again yesterday on the next stage of their long voyage home. The majority of them came to New Zealand in H.M.S. Tjitjalengka, a hospital ship, which had embarked them at Tokyo and they left for Sydney in H.M.S. Reaper, an escort carrier which brought New Zealand personnel to Auckland last Saturday.
When they arrived, most of the men were hoping to be in Britain in time for Christmas. When they left there were many who did not want to leave New Zealand. Some were anxious to see their wives and families again; others liked the idea of going home, but said they would have preferred to stay in New Zealand at least a little longer, the remainder did not want to go and hope to come back.
Few Married in New Zealand
Many of the men have been away from Britain for so long — for 10, 16 or even 20 years, they have been in the Army — that they have become used to the separation from their own folk. Others saw enough of New Zealand to regard it as a land of opportunity. They have formed plans for using the main portion of the pay which they did not collect while prisoners to buy a passage back as soon as they can get their Army discharges, set up in business or find employment, and in some cases, marry New Zealand girls whom they have met.
A few married before they left. One, Sergeant C. J. Bell, Royal Army Service Corps, who has been in the Army for 19 years and still has two years to serve, was married on Saturday at Raventhorpe Convalescent Depot to Waac I. M. Evitt, of Rotorua. He learned in the morning that he was due to leave by the Reaper, and plans were hurriedly made for advancing the wedding.
Attempts to Get Local Discharge!
Sergeant Bell and others tried to arrange to be discharged in New Zealand, so that they would not have to go back to Britain. However, no replies to their applications have been received from the War Office, and so they had to leave with the others. This was the first embarkation of its kind New Zealand has had. There was nothing in it to cause the men to modify the very high opinions they have formed of the people whom they have met and those parts of the country which they have seen.
When they arrived by the Tjitjalengka, all the men who left yesterday were able to walk ashore. But they were suffering from a fantastic array of illnesses and diseases. They were equipped in an almost scarecrow medley of clothing, and their personal possessions were pathetically few.
A Notable Transformation
When they went on board the Reaper yesterday, the men were brown, fit and as healthy as six weeks of good care and excellent food could make them. There was almost nothing to distinguish them from New Zealand troops returning from overseas.
They were well-clad, in New Zealand battledress, and well-groomed. They had put on stones in weight since they left Japan. Two months ago one of them was six stone in weight. He had been very near death three times. Yesterday he was well over ten stone and illness and he seemed to be a complete stranger. Many others said they had been eight or nine stone when they came out of Japan, and were now 10, 11 and even 12 stone. "We can never thank New Zealand and New Zealanders enough," said one of them.
The Army ran them alongside the ship in a special train which left Drury at 8 a.m. and arrived on Princes Wharf just after 9. The first began to go on hoard within a few minutes. They were received in the hangar deck and shown to their berths, which were individual cots in messdecks similar to those of the sailors.
Christmas Parcels Distributed
As they went up the gangway all the men received a Christmas parcel from the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the Red Cross Society, and later a number of other gifts, including a large number of magazines, were sent on board from various organisations. The men themselves took a quantity of New Zealand articles with then. Many had sent such things as Christmas cakes to their families by post, but others took cakes, sugar and several kinds of fats which they thought would find a ready welcome in Britain.
As the hour of departure drew near the men assembled on the ship's flight deck and clustered on the sponsons projecting from the side. There they exchanged shouted farewells with the large crowd of New Zealanders on the wharf. Pennies were used to weight last-minute messages dropped to the wharf, and some also sent letters and telegrams ashore to be posted to friends, sweethearts and fiancees in New Zealand.
Final Farewell Scene
The Papakura Camp Band was playing gay airs on the wharf and as lines were cast off it broke into "Now is the Time for Us to Say Good-bye". The ship went slowly astern, some the British soldiers sang "Auld Lang Syne," and the rest waved their hands, their handkerchiefs or their shirts until they were well out in the stream. From Auckland the men are going to Sydney. They expect to be disembarked there to wait for a ship to take them to Britain. It is not known how long they will be in Australia, but none expect to be with their families for Christmas.
"Oh. well." said one tomorrow is as good as today, and all days are better than the yesterdays we had in Japan."
SORRY TO LEAVE
BRITISH PRISONERS
DEPARTURE IN REAPER
MANY WANT TO RETURN
Looking very different, about 200 of the British officers and other ranks who arrived at Auckland about six weeks ago from Japanese prisoner of war camps left again yesterday on the next stage of their long voyage home. The majority of them came to New Zealand in H.M.S. Tjitjalengka, a hospital ship, which had embarked them at Tokyo and they left for Sydney in H.M.S. Reaper, an escort carrier which brought New Zealand personnel to Auckland last Saturday.
When they arrived, most of the men were hoping to be in Britain in time for Christmas. When they left there were many who did not want to leave New Zealand. Some were anxious to see their wives and families again; others liked the idea of going home, but said they would have preferred to stay in New Zealand at least a little longer, the remainder did not want to go and hope to come back.
Few Married in New Zealand
Many of the men have been away from Britain for so long — for 10, 16 or even 20 years, they have been in the Army — that they have become used to the separation from their own folk. Others saw enough of New Zealand to regard it as a land of opportunity. They have formed plans for using the main portion of the pay which they did not collect while prisoners to buy a passage back as soon as they can get their Army discharges, set up in business or find employment, and in some cases, marry New Zealand girls whom they have met.
A few married before they left. One, Sergeant C. J. Bell, Royal Army Service Corps, who has been in the Army for 19 years and still has two years to serve, was married on Saturday at Raventhorpe Convalescent Depot to Waac I. M. Evitt, of Rotorua. He learned in the morning that he was due to leave by the Reaper, and plans were hurriedly made for advancing the wedding.
Attempts to Get Local Discharge!
Sergeant Bell and others tried to arrange to be discharged in New Zealand, so that they would not have to go back to Britain. However, no replies to their applications have been received from the War Office, and so they had to leave with the others. This was the first embarkation of its kind New Zealand has had. There was nothing in it to cause the men to modify the very high opinions they have formed of the people whom they have met and those parts of the country which they have seen.
When they arrived by the Tjitjalengka, all the men who left yesterday were able to walk ashore. But they were suffering from a fantastic array of illnesses and diseases. They were equipped in an almost scarecrow medley of clothing, and their personal possessions were pathetically few.
A Notable Transformation
When they went on board the Reaper yesterday, the men were brown, fit and as healthy as six weeks of good care and excellent food could make them. There was almost nothing to distinguish them from New Zealand troops returning from overseas.
They were well-clad, in New Zealand battledress, and well-groomed. They had put on stones in weight since they left Japan. Two months ago one of them was six stone in weight. He had been very near death three times. Yesterday he was well over ten stone and illness and he seemed to be a complete stranger. Many others said they had been eight or nine stone when they came out of Japan, and were now 10, 11 and even 12 stone. "We can never thank New Zealand and New Zealanders enough," said one of them.
The Army ran them alongside the ship in a special train which left Drury at 8 a.m. and arrived on Princes Wharf just after 9. The first began to go on hoard within a few minutes. They were received in the hangar deck and shown to their berths, which were individual cots in messdecks similar to those of the sailors.
Christmas Parcels Distributed
As they went up the gangway all the men received a Christmas parcel from the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the Red Cross Society, and later a number of other gifts, including a large number of magazines, were sent on board from various organisations. The men themselves took a quantity of New Zealand articles with then. Many had sent such things as Christmas cakes to their families by post, but others took cakes, sugar and several kinds of fats which they thought would find a ready welcome in Britain.
As the hour of departure drew near the men assembled on the ship's flight deck and clustered on the sponsons projecting from the side. There they exchanged shouted farewells with the large crowd of New Zealanders on the wharf. Pennies were used to weight last-minute messages dropped to the wharf, and some also sent letters and telegrams ashore to be posted to friends, sweethearts and fiancees in New Zealand.
Final Farewell Scene
The Papakura Camp Band was playing gay airs on the wharf and as lines were cast off it broke into "Now is the Time for Us to Say Good-bye". The ship went slowly astern, some the British soldiers sang "Auld Lang Syne," and the rest waved their hands, their handkerchiefs or their shirts until they were well out in the stream. From Auckland the men are going to Sydney. They expect to be disembarked there to wait for a ship to take them to Britain. It is not known how long they will be in Australia, but none expect to be with their families for Christmas.
"Oh. well." said one tomorrow is as good as today, and all days are better than the yesterdays we had in Japan."
