NETHERLANDS SHIP BRINGS BACK SICK AND WOUNDED

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 295, 10 September 1941, Page 8

NETHERLANDS SHIP BRINGS BACK SICK AND WOUNDED

Soldiers Travel In Fastest Motor Liner MEN WHO FOUGHT IN GREECE, CRETE AND TOBRUK RETURN Sick and wounded soldiers of the Second N.Z.E.F.. most of whom had served their country in the fighting in Greece, Crete and at Tobruk, returned to New Zealand by the hospital ship Oranje. I his luxurious ship is the fastest motor-liner in the.world and the wartime gift to Australia and New Zealand of the Queen of the Netherlands and her Government. ... ~ , The returning soldiers had little to say of their experiences t.iat had not already been told by those who came back previously. Instead, they preferred to speak of the wonderful kindness of the Oranje s medical officers, nurses, ship’s officers and personnel and the Javanese of the crew. After the indescribably trying times in Greece and Crete, they felt that aboard the Oranje they had come into another world where everyone concerned with their care and welfare strived to the utmost to make them well and happy. On the other hand, the spirit of all on the Oranje was expressed by the captain, Commadore B. A. Potjers, when he said on arrival that his people felt the New Zealand soldiers to be those of the Netherlands as well as of the British Empire. . . ~ , , Appropriate to this sentiment, there is inscribed on a plaque in the main lounge of the ship, these words of Mr. Churchill: If it is a case of the whole nation fighting and suffering together, that ought to suit us because we are the most united of all the nations.

The Oranje was an ’unforgettable sight as she entered the harbour.. The sea was dead calm and the sunshine brilliant, making the setting perfect for this graceful white liner. A representative party of Ministers of the Crown went aboard the Oranje alter she berthed, when a welcome was extended to the returning soldiers and all in the Oranje oh behalf of the Government and the people of New Zealand. _ Later in the day the Governor-Gen-eral, Sir Cyril Newall, paid an informal visit to the clearing hospital at Aotea Quay, where he ehatted with the men.

The Royal Dutch Mail Line motorship Oranje, is the most modern ship to visit New Zealand. A luxury liner for passengers, she is no less luxurious as a hospital ship. The air-condition-ed cabins have been retained for seriously wounded men and there are special quarters provided for mental and contagious cases, i

There are approximately 60 Hollander nurses, who speak English, on the ship, which is operated at the expense of the Netherlands Indies Government. It is manned as much as possible bj’ a Netherlands crew and hospital staff and there is a liaison staff of New Zealanders and Australians", including nurses. The Oranje is specially intended for service between the Middle East and Australia and New Zealand. The New Zealand staff comprises Lieut.-Col. R. Wilson, N.Z.M.C., Rev. J. T. Holland, N.Z. Chaplains Dept., Sister E. A. Porteous, Staff Nurse V. B. Hutchison, N.Z. Army Nursing Service, and 10 n.c.o.’s and men for pay, records, stores, and medical orderly duties. As soon ,as the returning sick and wounded were taken from the ship to the clearing station opposite, fleets of motor buses took the personnel of the Oranje on sightseeing tours. There was a dinner by the British Medical Association for medical officers, • a gathering at the residence of the Netherlands Vice-Consul, Mr. M. F. Vigeveno, and a State luncheon. "Lofty” Blomfleld Back.

Among those who returned was the well-known professional wrestler, Sergeant-Major “Lofty” Blomfleld. He said he certainly was going to wrestle again if the trouble with varicosed legs, which had sent him home* allowed him to do so. "I could do with a purse after 30/- a week,” he said. Sergeant-Major Blomfleld said that he had had injections for his varicose veins before going overseas, but the trouble had recurred there. He had been at the base camp at Maadi as a regular company sergeant-major, not having done any physical culture instruction since he was iu the Middle East. For a while be had been a regimental sergeant-major. 47 Raids in One Day.

Alive to tell the tale after live months on a water barge at Tobruk, in one month of which 453- bombing raids occurred, one soldier thought he had experienced as much bombing as anyone in his theatre of war. lie confirmed previous accounts of tlie effects of bombing being more moral - till those attacked became used to it —than material by stating that his section of 28 lost only oii'e man on water barge duty. He recalled one day when there were 22 big day ligh raids and 25 night raids. This was in Tobruk harbour, two miles long and Ij miles wide. Once, he said, the betman aircraft ignored merchant and naval shipping to bomb and macinnegun a hospital ship. Then be said what he thought of them. ”1 was just stepping aboard a, ship in the evacuation of Crete when I was struck by a fragment from a trench mortar shell; the next thing I was conscious of was waking up in hospital in Alexandria with the 1 rime Minister, Mr. Fraser, shaking my hand,” said Driver J. Egifn, Southland. He was one of a supply column of 200 cut off in Crete by a much hu-er eiiemv force. Not normally n combatant unit, the men had to take to their rilles and light their way out, some of them hand-to-hand. Driver E ,r an closed with his man, using bis rille as a club. The outcome of the combat was indicated by his presence in New Zealand. After what lie experienced and saw in this incident he was convinced that man to man, the Germans are not much good. They were trained on the idea of plenty of mechanized and air support; away from it and relying solely on the ordinary small arms, they wilted. The Toinmv guns, lie said, were only effective up to 40 yards; his supply column mates liad'proved this when they were lighting the crowd who cut them off- , , ' Another soldier remarked on the youth of, many Italian prisoners who had been sent to Libya as part of youth Fascist organizations, only to be turned into soldiers when they got there. No New Zealanders had to go short* of such attentions as bootblacking, shaving and the like when there were these chaps about. He recalled the capture of a tank the crew of which were all youths under 20. “These girls will do me,” said an older soldier who acted-as spokesman for a large number who wanted to

show their appreciation through the Press of the attention and care which had been given them by the Hollander nurses. This soldier said that if a patient thanked a nurse for her kindness, the usual reply was that "we are only trying to show our appreciation of your fighting for and with us in the same cause.” The men also had a good word for the Javanese crew and attendants, w!k> were always cheerful and willing, helpers. They had the same spirit as the nurses, doctors, officers and i other Hollander personnel. Language Problems. Language presented few difficulties, for all aboard the ship seemed to have acquired sufficient knowledge of English to carry on a conversation. A number of the officers, medical and ship, had a thorough knowledge of English, and at the other end of the scale the Javanese of the crew knew a little. There were ways of overcoming the language difficulty aboard ship. Menus were printed in both languages and on the English menu there was a number alongside each dish so that particular'dishes could be ordered from the Javanese waiters by number, instead of in the full English title. Various signs and notices aboard were in both languages, one of them not without humour. In the language of the Netherlands, bad is the word for bath, and dames for ladies. Thus, outside one bathroom was the notice on one side "Bad Dames” and on the other, "Ladies’ Bathroom.” Dog Recognizes Master.

Among the people gathered on the wharf when the hospital ship came alongside was a little group of next-of-kin and relatives anxiously scanning the line of walking cases.which ranged along the ship’s rails. With them was a 'jog, nondescript of breed, and rotund with the passing of years. While the ship, broadside on, was still many feet away from the wharf, the dog, which up to then had been taking only a normal dog’s interest in the proceedings, suddenly stiffened, gazing intently up at the line of soldiers. As he gazed the hairs on the back of his neck slowly rose and then he broke into excited barks and began rushing to and fro and round in circles. Then he tore to the water’s side and made as if to leap in and swim toward the ship. It was some time before formalities on board the vessel were completed and the invalided men began to come ashore, ■and the dog’s excitement barely abated. When his long-absent master stepped ashore his excitement rose to a new frenzy as he tore round and round the little party wending its way across to the Casualty Clearing Hospital. It was with the greatest difficulty that he was persuaded to remain still long enough for a photographer to get a picture. Reception Speeches.

At the reception aboard ship on arrival, the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, Mr. W. H. Price, said they in New Zealand were grateful to the whole staff of the Oranje for bringing their men safely home. It was a fine gesture by the Queen ami the Netherlands Government to place such a fine ship at the disposal of the Australian and New Zealand Governments.

The Acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Nash, said he had overheard a soldier say as the official party entered the lounge, "Make it snappy.” That was what he would do. First, he called for cheers for the Queen of the Netherlands, for the magnificent gift by her Government and herself of the hospital ship. The men would be glad to know that he bad that day received a message from Major-General Freyberg, V.C., that their comrades overseas were in magnificent fettle and in better spirits than they had been for a long time. It was the desire of the Government to see that those who returned got back to their normal life at the earliest possible time, that they had decent homes to come to, and that the liberty for which they had fought was made more secure than ever.

The mayor of Wellington, Mr. Hislop, and tlie president of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association, .Mr. Perry, M.L.C., also welcomed, the men.

Tlie Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, thanked the men on behalf of the people, for their efforts in maintaining in the field and elsewhere the traditions of the New Zealand troops of th-? past. • Coinmadore Potjers, captain of the ship, said that it was a great pleasure for his people to do anything for the soldiers who were lighting the same enemy as them. In lighting that light, they were tire soldiers of the Netherlands as well as of their own Empire. He thanked Sergeant-Major "Lofty” Blomfleld for his appreciative references on behalf of the New Zealanders at a gathering aboard ship the night previous. It had been the Oranje's first trip as a hospital ship, and everything had been a real success because of tiie co-operation of till concerned, especially the soldiers. Here Sergeant-Major Blomfleld was asked to give a message to New Zealand. All he said was this, perhaps in recollection of wrestling days: "Hello, don’t boo me too much.” Colonel J. C. Gerards, chief medical officer, said the doctors and nurses had an easy task because the men hud been easy to handle.

.Matron Helena Drielsma, for whom cheers were given, also made a brief speech of acknowledgment. Sir Apirana Ngata spoke on behalf of the Maori people. "Welcome back to what used to be called ‘God’s Own Country,’ ” he said. After the dust and dirt of the Middle East he felt the men would believe they were back in the best country God had made. He continued in the Maori tongue, finishing with a haka which was taken up by the soldiers.