HOSPITAL SHIP ARRIVES

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23316, 30 April 1941, Page 8

HOSPITAL SHIP ARRIVES

PARTY FROM BRITAIN AND MIDDLE EAST 215 NEW ZEALANDERS RETURN (P.A.) WELLINGTON, April 29. Two hundred and forty members of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force landed from H.M. Hospital Ship Somersetshire to-day, ■B4 being members of the 2nd Echelon from Britain and the rest from the Middle East. The majority of the latter were picked up at Suez, but some at Sydney from another ship. The men are from all parts of New Zealand. The Somersetshire, which is a former Bibby Line troopship, is under Lieutenant-Colonel J. W. Hirst, who has with him a number of members of the R.A.M.C., Matron E. Townsend, and 13 nursing sisters, all of the R.A.M.C.

A few of the returning soldiers were wounded in bombing. One is a shellshock case, but the majority are sickness cases.

Several were injured in accidents, mainly through motor-cycling. The men returning from England said that they received a thorough training at Aldershot before going to the Channel coast to meet the threatened German invasion.

London had been out of bounds to them, but several had paid unofficial visits.

One man said that while the damage to London was great, it was not as extensive as most people thought. The bombing was largely confined to the East End. Another who visited London commented that some of the destruction would do good, because it had removed buildings that should have been replaced before. When asked for impressions of the stand Britain was making, another soldier declared that the British could never be beaten. If anything could have beaten them, last September’s I blitz would have done so. It only made them more determined than ever. This man said that German aeroplanes came over in hundreds. He saw a squadron of bombers attacked, and in two minutes all were down. One fell . from almost above them, and when it was near the ground it flattened out and shot straight at them, “We scattered in all directions,” he said, “but it hit the groupd half a mile away.” The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser) and the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) visited the ship and welcomed the men. Those Who Returned Following is the list of those who returned home to-day (where not otherwise indicated the rank is private);— Major J. G. C. Leach (Wanganui), Captain C. -. Thomas (Whakatane), Lieutenant A. H. L. Hardsell (Gore), Lieutenant M. V. Wilson (Whangarei), Lieutenant W. H. Carter, Lieutenant J. K. F. Watson (Auckland), Second-Lieutenant J. H. Corlett (Hamilton), Second-Lieutenant H. L. Thomson (Auckland), Sister H. M. Scott (Havelock North), Staff Nurse V. Cartwright (Napier), Sergeant F. Adamson (Wellington). B. Aiding (Oamaru), Lance-Corporal R. J. Alexander (Wellington), Sapper J. Anderson (Wellington), Sapper F. E. Anderson (Wellington), Gunner D. M. Andrews (Palmerston North), H. R. Armstrong 'Dunedin), C. A. Arthur (Invercargill), J. E. Ash (Wairoa), Driver L. M. Barr (Auckland), H. E. Bassenden (Wellington), W. A. Beach (Napier), J. E. Beacham (Onehunga), I. J. Bell (Auckland), Lance-Corporal P. A. Bellve (Auckland), Signalman W. Bennett (Kaitangata), Sapper T. G. Biddulph (Inangahua Junction), C. V. Blomfield (Waitoa, Thames line), C. T. Blucher (Waihopo), R. K. Bones (Hamilton), Gunner F. H. S. Booth (Wellington), Signalman F. H. K. Braddock (Nelson), S. J. L. Bramble (Paeroa), 'Gunner J. Brennan (Timaru), C, S. Brown (Te Rapa), R. F. Buckingham (Auckland), C. E. Burke (Tauranga), J. G. Buxton (Timaru), T. F. S. Callen (Wellington), Corporal J, H. Campbell (Hornby), Sapper J. H. Campbell • (Napier), C. Capon (Auckland), Corporal R. N. Carpenter (Auckland), Sapper J. J. Channing (Ngaruawahia), R. C. Clouston (Wellington), D. McK. Coombridge (Otorohanga), Sapper W. D. Coote (Christchurch), Sapper M. J. Corkery. (Hastings), C. J. Cottier (New Plymouth), Corporal R. T. Craig (Taupiri), R. N. Crampton (Wellington), Sergeant C. N. Crawford (Dunedin), Regimental Ser-geant-Major F. Crompton (Nelson), Driver J. R. Cross (Auckland), LanceCorporal D. J. Curtis (Christchurch).

■ G. M. Dale (Onehunga), T. E. Davies (Paekakariki), Company SergeantMajor A. G'. M. Dent (Waipawa), Lance-Corporal G. Diamond (Christchurch), Lance-Corporal J. M. Dive (Wellington), Lance-Sergeant J. Dobson (New Plymouth). Driver D. P. Donald (Maitland), Lance-Corporal A. F. Dougherty (Dunedin), Signalman T. D. Evans (Wellington), -Gunner- E, Faithful (Ravensbourne), Driver T. Fitzsimmons (Christchurch), Sapper R. J. Foreman (Napier), Corporal J. P. Foster (Wellington), A. J. H. Fowler (Marton), S. R. Frewin (Wellington), Driver T. P. Frost (Hamilton). R. J. Gardiner (Frankton Junction), Trooper F. W, Garrett (Kaikoura), Lance-Sergeant D. Glover (Nelson), Gunner J. H. Goldsworthy (Wellington), Sapper J. M. Gough (Kamo), Sapper J. J. L. Gould (Auckland), T. F. Gregg (Stratford), Driver L. L. Gross (Onehunga). E. P, Hallmond (Dargayille), H. R. Hammond (Auckland), G. H. Hannah (Auckland), Sapper A. H. Harper (Dunedin), G’. R. Hart (Dunedin), Corporal R. M. Hay (Otahuhu), Sergeant W. D. Haydon (Wellington), Sergeant R. G. Hayward (Wellington), Lance-Sergeant R. N. Heffer (Gisborne). W. M. Henderson (Mangapehi), R. F. Hewat (Wellington), Gunner E. J. Hodson (Nelson). J. D. Hoggard (Wellington), P. A. E. Holdaway (Dunedin), H. E. Holtham (Hunterville), Quartermaster-Sergeant C. K. C. Hopkins (Hastings), F. S. Hubbard (Napier). J. Hudson (Auckland), J. D. Hussey (Mosgiel). Driver E. I. Huston (Christchurch), G. R. Irving (Wanganui),

Corporal R. C. Jackson (Christchurch), A. J. James (Christchurch), P. G. James (Patea), Sapper E. Johnson (Otahuhu), Driver F.‘ Johnson (Wanganui), C. H. Johnson (Wanganui), G. T. Jones (Gisborne), P. M. Joss (Dunedin), S. J. Kendrick (New Plymouth), Driver J. M. Kennedy (Wellington), Bombardier I. W. Kirkness (Invercargill), Driver R. Larkin (TeKopuru), E. Leigh, Lance-Corporal V. A. Lester (Timaru), Lance-Corporal H. A. Lewis (Whangarei), Gunner J. N. Little (Wellington), L. A. Linklater (Kaiapoi), Gunner H. E. Lloyd (Onehunga), R. G. Loveridge (New Plymouth), B. Luckock (Wellington). T. McConnell (New Plymouth), C. F. Macdonald (Christchurch), Sergeant G. McDougall. C. McDowell, G. D. McFadgen (Wellington), Corporal R. G. Macgregor (Chri tchurch), Gunner E. W. L. Macgregor (Waipawa), Lance-Corporal L. R. Mackay (Ohai), W. R. Mackay (Opunake), D. L. MacLeod (Hawera). K. A. Mclntosh (Ruatapu), T. J. Major (Wellington), Driver F. J. Marsh (Christchurch), W. F. Martin (Auckland), Gunner F. Martin (Masterton), Driver H. W. Martin (Christchurch), W. G. Matthews (Christchurch). Sergeant W. Maxwell (Ruatoria), Sergeant H. Metcalfe (Orakei), D. H. Millar (Wellington), A; J. p. Mitchell (Hamilton), R. M. Moir (Flaxton), Lance-Sergeant G. K. Maloney (Hawera). Driver J. C. Mooney (Alexandra). W. J. Moore (Christchurch), Lance-Corporal P. J. Morris (Otane), Corporal J. L. Morris (Wellington), S. Morrison (Wellington), Gunner J. Murphy (Te Puke), Sergeant E. J. Nation (Wellington), Lance-Corporal H. E. Norman (Tuatapere), B. P. Oakes (Hawera), J. G. Olsen (Hastings). J. E. Penrose (Christchurch), Corporal P. T. N. Pitama (Tuahiwi). Sergeant J. S. Porteous (Wanganui), M. E. Prendergast (Xkamatua), Sapper F. A. Ramsay (Ashburton). Lance-Cor-poral J. F. J. Regan (Chfistchurch),

G. H. Reeve (Dunedin), Lance-Cor-poral K. W. Rewha-Rewha Gunner C. S. Riley (Christchurch), Sapper A. S. Ritchie (Takaka). F. Robertson (Auckland). L. L. Roebuck (Dunedin). Sapper H. J. Rogers (Wellington), J. M. Roiall (Auckland), Driver W. G. Rowlands (Christchurch), Gunner W. R. Russell (Christchurch), Gunner W. H. Roxburgh (Howick), P. R. Ryan (Ngakawau), C. H. P.Ryan (Wairoa), Gunner H. W. Ryder (Auckland). Gunner D. N. Shutte (Christchurch), F. N. G. Sibley (Christchurch). D. C. Slocombe (Southland), G. A. Smith (Auckland), G. G. T. Smith (Ashburton), J. A. Smith (Southland), Signalman A. J. Snelgtove (Wellington). J. H. Standen (Auckland). C. L. Sutton (Christchurch). P. Tahatu (Hastings), Gunner A. D. Taylor (Otorohanga), Sapper M. R. Taylor (Wellington), Gunner P. Taylor (Bluff), R. A. Te Where (Hastings). A. R. Thomas (Whangarei), W. J. Thomas (Christchurch), Sapper H. Thorp (Opunake), J. C, Timmins (Auckland). Gunner R. B. Tollemache (Te Awamutu), Gunner W. G. Tooman (Auckland), H. L. Townsend (Wellington), E. H. Trask (Te Aroha), Sapper C„ S. Trichon (Auckland). Sapper O. D. Walesby (Christchurch). ‘A. C, Wastney (Nelson), Lance-Corporal F. J. Wardrope (Auckland), R. J. Welnoski (Wellington), E. J. Whitson (Auckland), Bombardier E. S. Wiig (Napier), Bombardier J, Wilkins (Blenheim), Corporal W. E. Wilson (Dargaville), N. F. S. Wood (Taranaki), T. W. S. Loach. A. McLauchlan, J. C. R. Smith (Tapanui), Sergeant C. K. Rosser. C. J, McFarran (Christchurch). W. A. Robinson. SergeantMajor Hardley,-Nurse E. J. Jarman (Auckland). Driver A. F. Gogle (Auckland), S. Lawson (Dunedin). ■?