SAMOAN FORCE MORE MEN RETURN

Evening Post, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 68, 22 March 1915, Page 8

SAMOAN FORCE MORE MEN RETURN

WELLINGTON CONTINGENT GIVEN A HEARTY WELCOME. . NOW TO GO TO EUROPE. A fairly large batch of officers and men from No. 5 Group (Wellington City and Suburbs), who formed portion of the Advance Guard of Expeditionary Force which took Samoa on 29th August last and has been, in occupation ever since, returned to Wellington this morning. The force was under the command of Colonel Fulton, and generally looked well and fit after their lengthy residence in Samoa. The great majority of them have volunteered for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Europe, and will leave with reinforcement drafts in the near future. The contingent was accorded a hearty reception, there being a, large number of relatives and friends and of the general public present. Among the officials in attendance were the Prime Minister (the Right Hon. W. F. Massey),' the Minister of Defence (the Hon. James Allen), Commandant of the Forces (Colonel Robin), Chief of the General Staff (Lieutenant-Colonel Gibbon)* Colonel J. R. Purdy .(Director of Medical Services), Lieutenant-Colonel C. H. Turner, and the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. P. Luke). The men, on making their appearance, were heartily cheered, and reciprocated Ihe compliment. They were duly inspected by the officials, and were then addressed briefly by the Prime Minister, the Minister for Defence, and the Mayor of Wellington. SPEECHES OF WELCOME. The Prime Minister said that,, on behalf of the people of New Zealand, he welcomed them back to their own country, and he did so heartily and sincerely. He also thanked them on behalf of the people of the Empire and of New • Zealand for the good work they had done. Many of them thought, whSn they left last year, that they were going straight into the firing line, but because they were disappointed in that was no fault of theirs. They had, however, been very much in the danger zone, and had been tho first British Force to take German territory. They had. mad© history. Their opportunities, however, were not at an end, as all of them who wanted to go would be sent to the front as scon as possible. (Cheers.) The Minister of Defence thanked the contingent for the splendid services both officers and men had rendered to their country, and for the work they had done for the Defence Department. As the Prime Minister had said, they had not been in the firing line yet, but 1 those of them who wanted to go would be given the opportunity, and if they wished to see their people meantime they would be given leave immediately. Addressing the officers, he said he was glad they had brought their men back to New Zealand safely, and that both officers and men had done their duty. Turning to the men, he said he hoped they had learned what it was to have respect for their officers, and the officers, he hoped, had learned how to thoroughly know their men. If he knew anything of /the British Army to-day its strength lay in the knowledge and respect which officers and men had for each other. They should be guided by that rule ; and when they went to the front he knew that New Zealand would hear further good of the force from Sarcoa, which was the" first to occupy German territory.' , ■ The Mayor, on behalf of the people of Wellington and municipalities of New Zealand, congratulfcted the men on the work they had done for the Empire, and extended them a hearty welcome home. TO GET LEAVE TO-NIGHT. The returned contingenters were afterwards marched through the etreete up to the Military Barracks in Bttcklestreet, and in the afternoon were taken out to the military base at Trentham, where their papers were finally adjusted. It- is expected that they wiu be given leave to-night until probably ' after Easter. > , t Several' of the men, when spoken to by a Post reporter, stated that they had had a good trip over from Samoa, and en route spent a couple of days at Suva. They expressed themselves as fully satisfied' with the treatment they had received, though, of course, they said there were bound to be grumblers.