HOME AGAIN,

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 65, 17 March 1919, Page 8

HOME AGAIN,

MAIM BODY MEtk _____ HORORATA CONTINGENT. RECEPTION* AT WELLINGTON. fSpecial to "Star."Jj WELLINGTON, this day. t flic whole of Wellington was en fete .o-day _or the. arrival of the Main Body Craft ot the transport Hororata. Some difficulty was anticipated as to whether the ship would be allowed to deliver her Ireight o£ anxious warriors, and much anxiety was felt by the hundreds ot relatives who had come to Wellington to receive their own back again. The whole city turned out. and (business was iit a standstill. The troops on the ship wen- exceedingly bright, and gave little evidence of the inferno they had been through. Lieut.-C'ol. A. B. Charters, I-.-fLG., D.5.0.. was in charge, and he grave your correspondent a very brief description of the perils he and his comrades had been through, although he was most reticent throughout. GALLIPOLI TO FRANCE. Colonel Charter., went away with the Sei-ond Reinforcement, in charge of the Infantry, as major, lie was connected ■with the Otago Battalion throughout. He first went to Egypt, and from there to France, where lie was in every engagement in whicli the Division took p.irt. The colonel ilid not by any means escape the perils of war. He was exposed to every danger throughout Ins long service, and was gassed at Le llebuterue. Having recovered, he rejoined his regiment, but shortly afterwards was unfortunate enough to be gassed again. lie survived the second attack of the Huns poison, but later was wounded by a high explosive shell at Le Hebutenie"again. The latter wound has not had any serious effects on the colonel. The fight, at Arraentiereg (in which the New Zealanders shone so conspicuously I. the Somme. Me<-sincs in 1917, and the later La Basse battle were all .one through by the colonel. Again, he went through the Passchendaele assault, vihere the New Zealanders were called ■upon to face almost impossible odds, and fill a breach which hud been made by the Huns in the Allied line. The Allied commanders were greatly impressed (as lias been told in the cables) by the magnificent manner in which the New Zealanders held their end up and prevented the line from being shattered absolutely. Commendation of that effort has 'been voiced throughout the world.

On December .1 the Xew Zealand_rs arrived at Le Chateau, just in time to prevent another rush by the Huns. They duly accomp'islied their task, although tin' toll was heavy. Colonel Charters and his Division were engaged from the time they arrived in the battle zone right up to the time of the signing ot the armistice in fighting the Hun. MANY DECORATED MEN. A striking feature of the landing of the troops to-day was the number of men of nil sections of the forces who wore ribbons of distinctions, ribbons which denoted acts of valour .both in Gallipoli and France, in which those who had been rewarded had risked their lives to preserve those of their comrades. FROM BELGIUM TO THE RHINE. In the latter days of the New Zealand Division's work in the war area garrison duty was assigned. They went from Belgium to the Rhine, where remnants of the defeated Huns were met. Tho braggadocio of the people in the occupieil ar.a had quite disappeared and humility reigned. WELCOMED AS LIBERATORS. The Germans v. ore very quiet and humble, and, far from showing any illwill to the invading army, the Germans greeted them as liberators. Particularly so was that in tho case of the noncombatants : in fact, the general feeling is satisfaction displayed by the inhabitants of each village at the cessation of hostilities made more impression on the New Zealanders than anything else. The pinched, pale and anaemic features of the Germans depicted a story ot privation and misery, and, in the words of Colonel Charters," they obviously had had qnite enough of the struggle. SOLDIERS AND GENTLEMEN. The colonel had nothing but praise for the manner in which the troops had conducted themselves during the voyage from England. Although the men had seen year, of war. nnd knew that the horrible orgie of strife and bloodshed had emled, they were still, as they had aVway. been, excellent British gentlemen. There was nothing ou the voyage tint wa- not strictly military. The accommodation in the ship was quite t'ood. nnd there was no complaint about the food. Any complaints made at all v. eve made in tin- right spirit, and the responsible i.Hirers responded accordingly. Although then- is no reason to mention the matter, it should be satisfactory to know that there was nothing i" tin' nature of a demonstration throughout the vovaee.