OUR WOUNDED.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8270, 15 October 1915, Page 2

OUR WOUNDED.

HOW THEY ARE TREATED.

THE HOSPITAL ARRANGEMENTS

(From Malcolm Ross, Official War Correspondent wii.li tue In.Z. Forces). GALLiLPOLI PENINSULA, Aug. 17. 1110 Hardest time ior me wounded man is tiio tnno in between his wounding and iiis being placed on board the hospital ship, in modern warrare he is liable to be wounded by bayonet thrust, rilie hro, machine gun tire, .shi'apnol, bomb, ordinary shell, inflammatory shell, and high explosive. In? front of the Germans he has the added horrors of noxiout. gases. Un the Peninsula the Turk has nob descended to the .same depths as his German, triend in the us»e of gas. His nearest approach to it has been tho firing of a few inflammatory shells, which have harmed no one. Altogether he has fought a clean fight, has shown much bravery and resource, and is respected our troops, - who, while they will fight him .to a finish, bear him. no malice. We have also reason to beliov;o 'tliat the 'Turk iv treating such'of our wounded as fall into thoir hands in a % merciful and humane man-"

nerl The" Turkish m<?dieal' service is said to be good, and material captured by the New Zealanders in the rocent fight leads us to the conclusion that the enemy is tolerably well supplied with the medical, and surgical necessities for an army in the field. It 'is rather a difficult matter getting our wounded out of the steep and broken country that we have recently taken, but everything that can be done is now being -accomplished, and doctors and stretcher-bearers Mike are still doing heroic work. Each man carries a first field dressing, and that, skilfully applied, often saves a lot of after trouble. Quite close to the firing line in the narrow gullies are established dressing 'stations, where ' wounds are properly dressed by experienced surgeons. xFrom these stations the wounded are borne on stretchers for about a mile, and perhaps two miles, to the casualty clearing station, which is generally put in the shelter of a hill or gully near the beach. At this point during the last battle there was some trouble, due mainly to insufficient transport facilities between the shorn and the ships,, and also to want of adequate shelter on shore. In regard to the New Zealand wounded in particular, they have, owing to the action of the Government, and the liberality of private individuals, all the time been receiving exceptional treatment. The hospital ships take them to Alexandria, Port Said, and Malta! Slight cases may be landed iatylmbros and Mudros, where there are tent hospitals^;ln.Egypt; the.V boats : are; met on arrival'- by the New Zealand Base Staff,•■'..■under;^ Colonel; Charters', and by Chaplain Greene^ of the:. Salvation Army, and the/ names are rioted. Sach man then gets a_redirection post-card, which, on arrival at the hospital to which he is taken, he fills in, so! that prompt delivery by the MilitaryV. Post Office of letters, newspapers, ;J telegrams, and parcels may be assured. In most cases a soldier will be on his- way to the hospital while his letters may be on their way to the Gallippli .Peninsula, and in this way, there will be delay, because the exigencies of' 1 the, supply service are such that at; times the mails-must be regarded as of secondary importance. Apropos I may state here that one load of mails—36 bags—went to the bottom of the sea off Imbros, so that if New j Zealand correspondents do not get replies to certain letters—private and official—it may be put down to that accident. Eeverting to the New Zealand wounded in Egypt, the many hospitals to which wounded are sent are visited by one or other of the New Zealand chaplains, whose special duty it is to supply the men with any immediate necessities they may require, such as shaving gear," tooth-brush, handkerchiefs, writing paper, water beds (in certain cases), crutches, sticks, underwear, cigarettes, tobacco, pipes, chocolates, fruit (in certain cases)^ newspapers, etc. Newspapers which are supplied by the Government, and in some cases by the newspaper proprietors, are always welcome. British and other- residents in Egypt have been most -kind to: our' .wounded, 'and 'to these , V peoplb New '- Zealand owes ■ a special debf of gratitude, which in most cases can rievertte adequately re-

paid. At the beginning many of these women went to assist in the hospitals when there was a great strain on the ordinary staffs. /~ . "When the men are fit to leave hospital many go into convalescent homes or camps established by the Government, and administered by a local j [ committee. Lady Godley was the pio-. neer in this vgbbd work, which she con-J tinues with' judgment and energy There is a committee for each centre , In Cako the {committee consists of SurI geon-General- Ford, Director of Medijcal Sendees in Egypt, Lieutenant- tiol-/ onel Hall, Gamp Commandarit, and; Senior Medical Officer, and.' Chaplain; \ Angus McDonald. At Alexandria -\ the.: i committee consists of Lady; Godley,' t Colonel Chapters, Captain Fitzheibert, 'and Chaplain Greene. The Divisional 1 Staff Officer fin -Egypt is, ex officio, a member of both committees. At Malta the Red' Cross Society, in conjunction with Captain Tobin, are administering ! funds supplied by the Government to provido additional comforts for j x wounded New Zealandcrs. Here also,, (the few devoted British residents are/ doing a .great work amongst thp men. , Wheir'-1 a iman is ' unfit' for further 1 service lie is" shipped back to. New Zealand:- Generally ho wants to get back' i into'the firing line. He wishes, ashe 'puts it, "to rejoin the- boys." He goes I back, and is wounded again, perhaps ; killed in action, to occupy a nameless ( ' grave in a Turkish trench or on some , steep hillside or deep rnviiio. But ho has givpn his all for Kneland —Mother i 'JEnelnnd —and-his relatives mournin.ee , the loss of so valiant a pon may dry '■ thoir tears and assuage their sorrow ' with a glow of pride in such an hon--1 ourable sacrifice. Tn this fighting I have spon New Zealandf-rs—and I have i no doubt there are British, and Australians, too—who have como back until j they have b<*en wounded three times. I Such a number of honourable scars should siu'oly entitle t,h?m to surcease jof strfo! AH-oTotlipi- it may be said j j Hint Npw Z'.»al?vnrl ia looking after her \ wounded ns no nthor ffumtrv is. The ■ organisation and the onernr displavpd i nro as n(n\r nerfoetion jik possible under I the circumstances. Indeed, one other j

Dominion, at least, has noted and admired our organisation. In conclusion, it may be said that it is pleasant to hear the wounded speak in terms of the highest praise of their officers. It was not always thus, but the New Zealand officers have shown in battle that they are made of the right stuff. . A wounded man in hospital expressed regret for: once having called his officer "A damned old woman." "I am very sorry I ever said that," he told a friend, "for, by God, he died like a man and a gentleman!"