VETERANS OF 46 YEARS AGO RECALL JOURNEY TO WAR

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29336, 15 October 1960, Page 10

VETERANS OF 46 YEARS AGO RECALL JOURNEY TO WAR

Nearly 600 men who sailed from New Zealand 46 years ago to fight the British Empire’s enemies and who by their deeds contributed the undying name of Anzac, symbolising the association of Australia and New Zealand in peace and war and the staunch heroism of Dominion troops, will gather in Christchurch this week-end.

They are survivors of the Main Body of the First New Zealand Expeditionary Force who set sail from Wellington in 10 ships on October 16.

This, the organisers say, will be the last national reunion of the Main Body for even the youngest of the men in 1914 are now at an age where travel has lost much of its appeal. But age is unlikely to dim the memories of the events of 46 years ago when the men gathered from farms and cities to sail for an unknown destination and prepared for the unknown, as a soldier in war-time must. With the outbreak of war on August 4, 1914, which was to be known as the Great War until the second world conflict, New Zealand at once joined forces With the Empire. Camps . were established in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin for the mobilisation of an expeditionary force which was composed of territorials and untrained men, all volunteers. Addington Camps Troops of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles (many of whom brought their own horses to camp with them} and of the Canterbury Infantry Battalion went intocamp at the Addington Show Grounds, but at the beginning of September bad weather made the grounds uninhabitable and they moved to the trotting course next door. Later, the men went to the Plumpton Park trotting ground at Sockburn. They lived under canvas in the winter. Military training hardened them for at least part of what lay ahead, and the spirit of adventure was strong. On September 23, the men were sent by train to Lyttelton. Few Christchurch people knew they were moving out, but there was a. large crowd at the port to give a send-off to the troops in their transports, the Athenic and the Tahiti.

Outside the heads, the Lyttelton ships were joined by transports from. Otago and sailed to Wellington.

But German raiders were active in the South Pacific and the escorting warships did not arrive as expected, so that for almost three weeks the troops were aboard their transport vessels tied up to the Wellington wharves, going ashore for exercise and training.

Wellington troops had embarked and then disembarked, and the horses for the force were taken ashore and quartered at Lyall Bay. Escorts Arrive With the men keen to get away, the sight of the Japanese warship, Ibuki, and H.M.S. Minotaur steaming into Wellington harbour was welcomed. From Auckland came the troopships with men from that centre and the cruisers Philomel and Psyche; and on Thursday, October 15, all the men were re-embarked, and the fleet made ready! The 10 ships, which carried about 8000 men and 3815 horses, were the Maunganui, Tahiti, Ruapehu, Orari, Limerick, Star of India, Hawkes Bay, Arawa, Athenic and Waimana. At 6 a.m. on October 16 the fleet weighed anchor and sailed out into the rough Tasman. In tiers of bunks in the holds of the ships many of the men were seasick and the horses likewise found their first overseas travel unpleasant. But gp good was the care of the troopers and drivers that only four horses died on the whole voyage to Egypt. A rousing welcome awaited the' New Zealanders in Hobart, where they were taken ashore for a route March.

At Albany, 26 Australian transports joined the convoy, and out of Fremantle another two Australian troopships joined. Meanwhile, H.MAS. Sydney and H.MA.S. Melbourne had taken over from the two P-class escort ships. Excitement ran high in the large convoy when Word passed round that the Sydney had left the convoy to hunt the German

warship Emden, which had been playing 1 roc among merdhrant ships. Excitement turned to jubilation when it was announced that H.M.A.S. Sydney had destroyed the raidpr at Cocos Island. The ship’s company of the Emden was distributed among the transports, but taken off at Colombo. Shore leave at Colombo relieved the monotony of the long sea voyage for the troops and homeward mails carried souvenirs which were to be duplicated many times in the war and again in 1939-45. From Colombo, H.M.S. Hampshire joined in escort duties. Word spread that Egypt and the Suez Canal, which was under the threat of Turkish invasion, were to be the destination, and after travelling through the canal the New Zealand transports berthed in Alexandria on December 3. Disappointment that they were "not going on to England was alleviated by the joy at getting on solid ground again. It was shared by the mounteds’ horses, which “cut the most amusing capers in their delight,” one trooper recalls. Taken by train from Alexandria to Cairo, the soldiers went into camp under canvas; at Zeitoun, a Cairo suburb. Desert route marches and training hardened the New Zealanders into soldiers who amazed the British regulars with their physique and fitness. Canal Defence New Zealand troops took part in the defence of the canal against the Turks: but their big day was drawing closer. On April 9 they left Alexandria and sailed to Mudros in the island of Lemnos, where a great array of naval vessels and transports assembled. A little over a week later they were moved under’cover of darkness to Gallipoli and the next morning climbed down ladders into small boats at Anzac, as the beach on which they landed became known. Months of fruitless striving fol-low-ed, and of the 8450 New Zealanders who landed—the total included reinforcements as well as Main Body men—272l were left in graves on foreign soil. The war in France later took its toll of Main Body men and the years have left few unscarred. Christchurch this week-end will welcome the men who were prepared to do so much for their country, and share with them the gratitude to those recalled as absent friends.