MALTA HOSPITAL

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24800, 14 February 1946, Page 4

MALTA HOSPITAL

NEW ZEALAND ENDOWS BED TRIBUTE TO COURAGE OF ISLANDERS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 13. The Cabinet has made a grant of £lOOO to endow a bed in the King George V Hospital for Merchant Seamen at Malta, in memory of the courage of the people of Malta and New Zealanders buried on the island. This announcement was made by the Acting-Prime 1 Minister (the Rt Hon. W. Nash) at a reception given by the Government to-day in honour of Lieu-tenant-General Sir William Dobbie, G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D. 5.0., Wfto was Governor and Commander-in-Chief of Malta during the siege, and Lady Dobbie. ,The history of the hospital, which was destroyed by bombs and is now being rebuilt, was given by General Dobbie who, in his capacity as vicepresident of the hospital trust, expressed high appreciation of the gift. Welcoming Sir William and Lady Dobbie, Mr Nash referred to the profound respect everyone had for what they did at Malta. Mr Nash said that when in London In June, July, and August, 1942, he was invited to attend meetings of the British War Cabinet, and that at one of them Admiral Sir Dudley Pound had explained arrangements for getting a convoy through to Malta. Mr Nash said he was proud that seven of the 14 ships to be protected were New Zealand ships. On the evidence of Sir Dudley Pound, half of the ships could not get through, but if half did reach the island, then Malta was saved.

Mr Nash said that a short time ago the Government heard that the Malta Hospital had been destroyed, and was asked if it would like to contribute in view of New Zealand’s association with the island, an association which went back to the last war. Seventyone New Zealand soldiers were buried on the island. The Cabinet decided that it would endow a bed in the hospital, to be called the New Zealand bed, and voted £lOOO for that purpose, in the name of New Zealand in memory of the courage of the people of Malta and of New Zealanders whose bones lay on the island. Hospital in Target Area Appreciation of the hospitality they had received since their arrival in New Zealand was expressed by Sir William Dobbie on behalf of himself and his wife. He said the generous gift announced by Mr Nash would be greatly appreciated by the people of Malta. The hospital, kpown as the King George V Hospital for Merchant Seamen, was built as a memorial to merchant seamen in the last war, and King George V was its original patron. The King was now its patron. The hospital was built on a beautiful site for peace time, but it was not so good in war time, for it was right in the target area. All through the war with Italy it was constantly bombed. It was hit on one or two occasions, but still the work of ministering to the sick and injured went on. For 20 months while that hospital was in use, though in the forefront of battle, not one patient had had' to wait five minutes for his meals. In April, 1942, the hospital was destroyed, after having withstood all the viscissitudes of war up to that time. Fortunately there was no loss of Iffe, for the patients and hospital staff were in shelters. It was originally built with money largely subscribed in Scotland, which was again footing the bill for rebuilding the hospital. The endowment subscribed by the people of New Zealand and similar endowments would enable the hospital to function so that patients could be treated with as little charge to themselves as possible. One could never estimate the great work of the Merchant Marine, and had it not been for that service the island could not have held out. The hospital was now being rebuilt, and within two years it would again be functioning. In the name of the hospital trust he wished to thank the New Zealand Government and the people of the Dominion for the gift.