SECOND ECHELON

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 30, 3 August 1940, Page 13

SECOND ECHELON

ARRIVAL AT HOME

TRIBUTE TO NAVAL FORCES

END OF A LONG TRIP

(From the New Zealand Official War

Correspondent.)

SOMEWHERE IN BRITAIN, June 16,

In still, hot sunshine, on a perfect afternoon of early summer, the transports of the Second Echelon dropped anchor today in a Homeland harbour after the longest voyage ever made by troops going to war. .

The dramatic turn in the.fortunes of war during the weeks we have been at sea, the sudden change in our destination (which practically doubled the distance sailed), and the knowledge that we have been brought through dangerous waters to where the need is greatest have combined to make this an unforgettable occasion for 7000 men. When they were bidden welcome this afternoon in the name of his Majesty the King, of the British Government, of the High Commissioner for New Zealand, of General Freyberg, and of their unseen kinsfolk on shore, they were moved to repeated applause and rousing cheers. But they cheer loudest and longest of all for the ships and men of the Royal Navy, to whom they owe their safe arrival.

Throughout the last week our escort increased.almost daily, both on sea and in the air, while the troops themselves mounted and manned machine-guns as a precaution against possible air attacks. There were none. Yesterday, however, we encountered for the first time the direct effects of the hidden sea war, against Britain, and saw the Navy, if not in action, at least in the last stages of its preparedness for action. Towards noon we steamed through a litter of deck cargo drifting aimlessly before the tide, and almost immediately afterwards sighted a ship on fire—billowing columns of black smoke with flames leaping from their base, and what appeared, to be the hull right on end.' Another merchant ship" was standing by, and our convoy kept steadily to its changing course. Presently a scouting aircraft dropped a smoke flare. Instantaneously a pair of destroyers swung out of line to investigate; and we bent away. Nothing came of that investigation, but l«-ter in the afternoon one of ■ our escorts dropped a depth charge, and in the early evening a further alarm brought a pack of destroyers racing for prey, the while. larger warships shepherded us closer. •■

In our journey round the' world we have been under the care," at different times; of the Royal Navy itself, the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, the Royal .Australian Navy, and the Royal Canadian .Navy. It is no reflection on the courage of our men to say that all of them who are not already members would gladly join the Navy League tonight. Their admiration- does not spring from thoughts of their own safety, although all resented the possibility of being put out of the war without "having a smack at Fritz!" No; they have seen what the Navy does and come to realise what it means to the life and freedom of the British Commonwealth. Was he not a famous sailor of the last war, later ..our Governor-General, who told us once in New Zealand, "The sea is our life"? The Royal Navy keeps the sea. We have seen it at work, and know. j OFFICIAL WELCOME. It had been intended that Lord Caldecote, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, and Mr. W. J. Jordan, High Commissioner for New Zealand, should be present to greet the troops, but a last-minute development in public affairs kept both in London. The Secretary of State was represented by his Parliamentary Under-Secretary, Mr. Geoffrey Shakespeare, and Briga-dier-General N. S. Falla, Commandant of the New Zealand Base, read a message from the High Commissioner. The first speaker in the official 'party which made a round of the transports as they lay at anchor was General Carrington, who brought messages of welcome from the King and from the Secretary of State for War, Mr. Anthony Eden. I Brigadier Miles represented General Freyber,g, who would have been there but for Italy's entry" to the war, and civic leaders expressed the; welcome of adjacent local authorities. Mr. Shakespeare said he was proud to be the first member of the Government to welcome us "Home"—-he';,em-phasised the word—because "when the news leaks out that the second, contingent of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force has arrived, here, there will be a thrill of joy in every home and every heart in this country." . It was a timely arrival, he said, for the war had reached a very critical stage and every fresh help was most valuable. Twenty-five years earlier he had shared a"hill' with New Zealanders— with the fathers of some of the men present,.perhaps—just below the Apex on Gallipoli, and ho had rfever forgotten how gamely they fought. It ,was a pleasure^to. be able to express. a comrade's gratitude to their sons, who would; fight equally gamely and with an equar assurance of. victory. Among the district civic leaders who spoke.was the Lord.Provost of Glasgow, Mr. Pat Dollan, a personal friend of.' the New Zealand Prime Minister, from whom he conveyeda message of greeting, and another gentleman, the Lord Lieutenant of Renfrewshire, who recalled having spent three months in New Zealand and having seen the Pink and White Terraces the.. year, before they were destroyed. Mr. Jordan's welcome, read by Brigadier Falla, had special appeal for the troops by virtue of his being a returned soldier of the Great War. He congratulated them upon their safe arrival (thanking the Royal Navy for it), bade them welcome to the Old Country, and told how very sorry he was not to be there to meet the convoy. Only urgent national business had prevented him. The war situation was grave, but that would not daunt New Zealanders, who had a reputation for playing best after two tries had been scored against them.

THE IMMEDIATE TASK. Brigadier Miles.- came to grips vat once with realities. Now that we were here, he said, our task was to get right down to training, with a view to meeting the new methods of warfare that the enemy had sprung upon us. Those were not so much new weapons, as. new ways of. using old weapons. What'was most needed to combat them was "guts," a quality in which New Zealanders had never been lacking; next, initiative and resource, again characteristics in ' which New Zealanders had not been found wanting in the past. Every man would' have to stick it out; he himself would have to find and then use methods of meeting the attack. The situation was grave indeed, but it would not defeat us. Meanwhile the New Zea- ! land forces must work to be ready as soon as they were called upon, and that might be quite soon. General Freyberg hoped to be in England shortly, but even if he could not come, because of his duties in the Near East, he Was taking a deep personal interest in our welfare; and training. "You have come to this green and

pleasant land, England," concluded the brigadier, speaking, with ■ the quiet determination of one who has lately felt the tragedy of. war in his own home. "You are going to love it, and to be ready to give your all for it." '• ■' ■ . ' '■'■ '

On the flagship Brigadier Hargest, and on other ships the senior officer aboard, returned thanks for the several speeches and messages of welcome, expressed the men's eagerness to be in the firing line as soon as they could possibly prepare themselves, and conveyed their thanks to the officers and men of the naval convoy.

Disembarkation is to begin tomorrow morning, when the Maoris will be the first to set foot on the soil of the pakeha Homeland. Fourteen trains, their departures spaced over three days and a half, will be needed to carry the echelon, and the rail journey will occupy well over twelve hours. All details have been worked out in advance by the shore disembarkation staff. Troops will be issued with journey rations before leaving the ships, and in addition there are to be two stops en route at refreshment station # where meals will be provided by the War Office organisation. in less than, a week we shall be firmly established at our base camp, and training hard.