"ANGELS OF MERCY."

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8202, 27 July 1915, Page 2

"ANGELS OF MERCY."

THE WILLOCHRA'S NURSES

WELCOMED AT ASHBURTON

Ashburton's welcome to seven of the Willochra's nurses at the railway station last evening, on the arrival of the second express from the south, had necessarily to bo very brief. Arriving a minute' or two late, the train made a stay of barely 10 minutes, but this was amply sufficient for his Worship the Mayor to publicly thank the nurses for so capably looking after four of Ashburton's 'sons on their voyage home from the Dardanelles. There was a large crowd of people on the platform when the train arrived, and as it steamed in a band, composed of members of the Ashburtbn Citizens' Defence Corps Band and the Salvation Army Band, struck up an appropriate tune. The nurses all belong to Australia, and prior to their re-departure for the seat of war, are being entertained by the New Zealand Government Tourist Department, which has arranged a hurried tour through the country. The number that passed through Ashburton was seven, and included in the party was Sergeant Edgar,.who acted as dispenser aboard the. Hospital Ship. They were a very cheerful body of ladies,: and were genuinely pleased to see three of their ex-patients—Sergeant F. R. C. Upton and Privates F. O'Connor, I).CM., and L. J. N. Fowke—who were at the station specially to meet them. There were many hurried enquiries as to health, and one wag; in the crowd remarked: "It's worth while being ill to be looked after by such ifine girls. I wouldn't mind, having a bullet through my ribs myself." The Mayor said ho wished to thank the nurses, on behalf of the Ashburton folk, for looking, after the four boys who had been entrusted to their charge. From what he had heard, if the nurses on board the Willoehra had not performed miracles they had come next door to it; in fact, if the voyage had lasted much longer he would have begun to have believed that some without limbs would have had new limbs provided by the nurses. The men had spoken in the very highest terms of praise of the kindly services of the nurses, and, as Mayor, he would like to thank them for it. Mr Galbraith expressed the hope that the brief holiday the nurses were spending in New Zealand would be full of enjoyment, and that they would go back to the land of tho Waratah and tho Kangaroo fit and ready to remain long years in the honourable profession to which they belonged. (Applause).

The Mayor then called for chows for the nurses. Someone said: "Are we down-hearted ?" and the answer cam© in a thunderous "No." After further cheers and 'band playing the whistle sounded. The guard's cry of "All aboard," put an. end to further ceremonies, and there was Hist 'time for the nurses to shake by the hand their three ex-patients, and to express the hope that they would soon he lit and well, ere the train slowly began to draw .iwav.

The Mnvor returned thanks to the residents for turning out in such large numbers. :