THEIR DUTY DONE

Evening Star, Issue 15910, 16 September 1915, Page 8

THEIR DUTY DONE

OTAGO SICK AND WOUNDED. SEVENTY-SEVEN MEN BY WARRIMOO WELCOMED BY BIG CROWD WITHOUT DEMONSTRATION. A chorus of long, shrill blasts on engine and factory whistles about 9.20 this morning indicated that the Warrimoo, on board which steamer were the Otago contingent of the sick and wounded men who returned from, Egypt by the Tahiti, had berthed at the Lower Rattray street wharf well ahead of her scheduled time.

Even then, however, a big crowd of people were making their way to the wharf, and by 10 o’clock the space outside the roped enclosures was closely packed with, spectators. Relatives of the returning men and officials assembled on the wharf.

The steamer was met by Colonel J. Cowie Nichols (officer commanding the Otago Military District), Lieutenantcolonel T. W. Donald (General Staff officer), and Lieutenant-colonel Falconer (Medical Embarkation Officer). The medical and military officers having discharged their preliminary duties, ’the first man came ashore at 9.45, and was welcomed by his people. Others followed at intervals, and proceeded quietly to S shed, where they and their relatives boarded motor cars and were quickly and comfortably taken to their homes, or the Hospital, or whatever their destination might be. The first burst of cheering came when a stretcher, bearing the form of a young wounded private, was carried down the gangway, followed by a nursing sister, and this was repeated on the appearance of each of other three men who had to be brought ashore in a similar way. These four soldiers were placed, in ambulance waggons and taken to the Hospital. A detachment of ambulance men, under Captain Malcolm, attended to the landing and conveyance of these cases. Of These stretcher cases, Privates A. T. Kelly (Invercargill) and A. B. Shivas (Gore) were to proceed south this afternoon in a special railway ambulance waggon which has been fitted up with due regard to the comfort of the wounded men.

From the big crowd outside the ropes came little or no demonstration, though a feeble attempt was here and there made by individuals to raise a, cheer. The general attitude was one of serious interest as the cal's bearing the soldiers sped by. The feature of the proceedings was "the quiet, business-like manner in which the arrangements were carried out. Everything was done expeditiously and well, not a hitch occurred, and within 40 minutes of the first man leaving the boat the disembarkation was complete, and the men away from the wharf. The weather conditions, too. were ideal. All the cheerfulness possible was imparted to the scene by tho brilliant sunshine, and the men, with the exception of a few who were obviously sick, appeared to be tolerably happy. The success which attended the disembarkation is largely due to the efforts of Captain Hawkins,' A.Q.M.G., who,‘however, at the last moment was called away for duty elsewhere. In his absence Lieutenant-colonel M'Donald acted as military landing officer. Captain Roberts and Lieutenant M'Cullooh, of the New Zealand Motor Reserve, had charge of the motor transport, which worked smoothly. The cars were again provided by members of the Otago Motor Association, to whom the thanks of the Patriotic Society and the returned men are due. Those men whose homes are- outside Dunedin proceeded to their destinations by the first available trains. One man who has no relatives;in this City has been accommodated at the Leviathan Hotel, by the courtesy of the Mayor and the Patriotic Association. D. Elakie. who was originally intended for Gore, will he temporarily detained for treatment at Dunedin Hospital. ,

The officers aboard the vessel were : Major Fitzgerald (N.Z.M.C.), who had proceeded to Wellington in order that the medical work might be expedited, Captain E. E. Jones, who returned in charge of the Otago men, and Captain Will, one of the Tahiti’s medical officers.

Nursing Sisters Moore and Low, returned by the Tahiti, attended to the comforts of the men on the trip down. The military guard, under Major Moller, did excellent service in the direction of keeping the wharf clear, and in this work was assisted by a strong detachment of police under Sub-inspector Broberg. Owing to the absence in Wellington of His Worship the Mayor (Mr J. J. Clark), the civic welcome to tho returned men will not take place until noon on Wednesday next in the Octagon Hall. The arrangements made for yesterday will hold good next Wednesday. MEN WHO RETURNED. The following is a list of tho men who returned : PROCEEDING HOME. Sergeant A. Adam (Owaka). Sergeant C. W. Cook (Palmerston). Corporal N. S. Field (Dunedin). Corporal J. J. Marlow (Dunedin). Lance-corporal L. E, Clayton (Dunedin). Lance-corporal R. Fraser (Dipton). Lance-corporal Hamilton (Invercargill). Lance-corporal J. Wilson (Dunedin). Private W. Anderson (Dunedin). Private J. Bailey (Invercargill). Private W. F. Bartley (Oamaru). Private J. Butcher (Dunedin). Private J. H. Carey (Port Chalmers). Private A. Cassels (Dunedin). Private W. Clark (Dunedin). Private F. A. Orabbe (Bannockburn). Private G. W. W. Dale (Bluff). Private G. H. Dodds (Dunedin). Private T, N. Drain (Tuapeka). Private C. E. Eccles (Oamaru). Private J. H. Glenn (Lumsden). Private W. H. Gribben (Kaitangata). Private E. Guinen (Kelso). Private P. Johnston (Dunedin). Private Johnstone (Dunedin). Private S. N. Keating (Wingatui). Private D. MThcrson (Port Chalmers). Private J- O’Connor (Dunedin). Private P. O’Connor (Ibmedin). Private W. P. Quested (Nightcaps). Private J. M. Reynolds (Dunedin). Private C. Rogers (Lawrence). Private E. O. Skipworlh (Invercargill). Private J. Webster (Waitahuna). Private J. A. Weir (Dunedin). Private S. E. Wragge (Port Chalmers). Private MTntyre (Dunedin). Private E. N. Stewart (Dunedin). • Private P. Rivier (Invercargill). Private Sparrow (Dunedin). Trooper L. Edwards (Balchitha). Trooper Keix (Dunedin). Trooper R, M‘Auley (Dunedin). Trooper P. S. Price (Invercargill). Trooper R. E. Lammond (Pueroa). Sapper 0. L. Calvert (Dunedin). ADMITTED TO HOSPITAL. —Dunedin.— Private R. C. Glass (Dunedin). Private F. Johnston. Private E. G. Sheridan (Tapanui), Private J. Pagan (Dunedin). Private J. Scott (Dunedin). Private'D. Blakie. Private T. D. Valentino (Dunedin). Private L. DieW. Gunner J. A- M'Kay (Dunedin). Trooper J. M’Menamin (Dunedin). —Gore.— Private A. V. Sbivas. —lnvercargill. Private A. T. Kelly. —Hospital Treatment. — Captain R. P. Jones (Dunedin). Sergeant A. X. Johnson (Dunedin). Lancc-corpoial D. V. Rendall (Dunedin), .. Trooper B. Fache (Dunedin).

\ Trooper, M. Mitchell (Dunedin), ' /■Trooper G. M'Millan (Dunedin). Trooper ID. G. Whittaker (Dunedin), Private R-, V. Kennedy (Dunedin). Private R. M'Gregor (Oamaru). - Private J. H. M'Millan (Invercargill). Private J. W- Young (Dunedin). -Private J. G. O’Donnell (Dunedin). Private Davidson (Dunedin). Corporal W. Hamilton (Milton). RETURNED STUDENTS. Sergeant G. P. Fitzgerald (Dunedin). Private L. H. Booth (Port Private W. T. Glasgow (Dunedin). Private T. A. Kelly' (Dunedin). Private A. B. M'Gregor (Seacliff). i ■, The following Otago men returned byj the Tahiti, but were not aboard the War* rimoo:-—Corporal G. IT. Barker (Milton), Privates A. Campbell. (Dunedin), R. Gotdon (Duntfoon), Corporal Hunter (Oam-. arp), Sergeant Hartley (Invercargill), Trooper ID. Jury (Dunedin), Privates R. V. Kennedy (Dunedin), T. Miller (Dunedin), W. Morrisey (Dunedin), F. M'Dougal (Riverton), J. *T, M'Haffi© (Port Chalmers). Corporal C. R. M'Lean (Dunedin), Trooper C. A. M'Quarrie (Bluff), Corporal A. Inkster (Dunedin), Sergeant M'Quairie (Bluff), Sergeant A. H. Piper (Oamaru); Trooper H. Ridder (Lochiel), Driver W. K. Robertson (Berwick), Private J. J. Shannon (Kaitangata), Trooper A.' W. Sligo (Dunedin), Private L. A. Tall (Dunedin), Driver W. J. Taylor (Mandeville), Privates P. Thompson (Green Island), J, Thompson (Gore), B. Wohsbone (Oamaru), A: D. Watts (Oamaru), Sergeant R. Wilson (Dunedin).

The following medical students returned by the Tahiti, but were not on board the Warrimoo:—Sergeant A. W. O'Sullivan (Dunedin), Sergeant J. L. Will (Dunedin), Private R. L. Christie (Gore).

- An interested crowd waited on the Port Chalmers railway platform to-day , and extended a warm welcome to the ‘Port boys who returned by the Warrimoo. Privates Carey and M'Pherson are on the wounded list, as is also Private M'Haffev, who, however, did not come down on the Warrimoo, but is coming on by train. Private Booth, of the ambulance section, has returned to complete his studies as a medical stiyjer.t. He landed on Gallipoli the first day, and did arduous service there right up to the time he left to join the Tahiti.