WOUNDED SOLDIERS

Evening Star, Issue 15906, 11 September 1915, Page 6

WOUNDED SOLDIERS

SECOND" BATCH" ARRIVES'IX WEL- -- LINGTOK.

[From Our Parliamentary Reporter.]

' WELLDfOTON, September 11. • Little more that* half of the total number of soldiers who returned to Wellington by the transport Tahiti to-day come home -from Gallipoli. The remainder were never in the fire zone at all, sickness having overtaken them in, Egypt. This fact softened the edge of the" inevitably sad home-coming, and there was nob amongst._the public the same apprehension and anxiety, which were felt on the occasion of tho historic arrival of the Willochra; but there was the same spirit of cheerfulness in the war-battered men and the. same heartiness of welcome from the citizens. Though the morning threatened miserable weather, the sky brightened before noon, thus investing* the" public welcome to the men with inspiriting plea. sa.r:tness. There were on board the transport 491 soldiers all toid. Of these 27 are elassined as hospital cases, 59 ara convalescent, and 405 rather iooselr deas "ether cases." The "word " other need not prompt speculative gossip or a, sinister character. There are no "unmentionable" cases amongst the men. A large number of the unclassified, lot are invalided home on account of sickness and most of them mav, after two or three months "on the grass," as the | saying goes, be able to return on active : se ?,T lc J?", A fair Percentage of the men I will fight no more.. j Several men have ea:-lx lost a limb, and about a dozen have each inst an eve. A | number of men are tcmo»?arily orlpo'ed. There aro seven stretcher" cases,' one rather ! bad. Death did not visit the ship or, the j voyage, which was very pleasant. Host of tho wounded men included in list .":° thcl ' cases"- have bullets intheir bodies, and one man at least, who is an object of admiration, has no less than five bullets in Iris bodv. He Is called a walking target. He certain! v has more spirited energy about him still than mauv nien. He would be anerv if termed nhv=ically unfit. " " *" It is unnecessary to attempt a recital of the nine's experiences, and exploits. Suffice it to say that many of the wounded warriors bear evidence of having been in desperate Every man speaks with miqualified admiration of the dashing courage or tho Australians, whoare described as the sort of soldiers who would take Hell if it was of any value to the British Empire It is apparently believed that New Zealanders, when led by British, French, or Anglo-Indian officers, fight with greater intelligence; but it is confidentlv asserted that, for dash and derring-do, the Australians have no rivals on earth. The Australians' landing on Gallipoli is characterised as the eighth wonder of the world. Thousands of men who were about six weeks on Gallipoli before being wounded make no secret of the need Tor more men in order to give the soldiers in the trenches longer spells at tho base to recuperate. Service under present conditions is said to be vea\v | rigorous and exhausting, many of the men •being 24 hours on and four liours off, and then back into vigorous action. All seem confident that Gallipoli will be taken before Christmas. Several of the men speak glowingly of General Godleys fearlessness in the danger zone. It is believed in Gallipoli that there are over 500 New Zealanders at Constantinople as prisoners of war. The public gave the soldiers a cordial welcome in tho afternoon. ' [Per United Press Association.] WELLINGTON, September 11. The Tahiti is timed to leave for the South to-night, but some of the seamen, having signed articles only for Wellington, do not wish to go on to-night. It is therefore doubtful if the steamer will get awav.