HOSPITAL SHIP

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 September 1945, Page 4

HOSPITAL SHIP

ARRIVAL AT WELLINGTON WELLINGTON, Sept. 18. The hospital ship, Empire Clyde, arrived to-day bringing 55 patients, including five stretcher cases, and about 200 protected personnel, including several New Zealand nurses. The ship picked up most of the patients in Italy, and the other passengers in Egypt and had reached. Aden when news of the Japanese capitulation was received. A celebration was held on board with an extra special dinner. The voyage was pleasant and weather good, particularly on the last stage front Australia. The Empire Clyde, now an Admiralty hospital ship, is the former Italian ship Leonardo da Vinci 12,000 tons, built in 1925, as a cargo ship but soon converted to passenger service. It was extensively damaged by fire in 1936. It was used as a staff ship by the' Duke of Aosta when Viceroy of Abyssinia, and also on. special service to carry art treasures to exhibitions in England and. the World’s Fair, New York. It was seized by the British at the end of the Somaliland campaign, having been considerably damaged by the Italian, crew’s efforts at sabotage. After many vicissitudes the ship was eventually taken to Newport News and. repaired, then used as a troop carrier. It was converted into a hospital ship in March, 1944.

' AUCKLAND’S OPPORTUNITY AUCKLAND, Sept. 18. “Out of the blue,” news came to Auckland this morning that a _ ship carrying hundreds of released prisoners of war and civilian internees, is in within a few days of New Zealand. Its oassengers will require immediate hospital attention and Auckland is. asked to accommodate at least 200. The information was received today by the chairman of the Auckland Hospital Board (Mr. Moody) in an urgent communication from the Department of Health. The Department has appealed to Auckland and it is understood to other centres to take prompt steps to provide hospital accommodation for the passengers on. the ship. No particulars of the numbers, age, sex or even nationality, of those aboard is yet known. The day and time of arrival are also unknown, and the ship may not arrive at Auckland. There is also a suggestion that another ship with 500 aboard is on the way. ( Mr. Moody said that Auckland had. a duty to perform, particularly in. view of the fact that the city, like the rest of the Dominion, has been fortunate during the war. The time for lip service was past. Here was an opportunity for practical action. Mr. Moody added he did not know’ the circumstances which led to the information reaching Auckland at such, short notice. Just now, the important thing was that they should respond, fullheartedly to the challenge. “The Hospital Board appeals to the women of Auckland to volunteer for service in the nursing division,” he said.

MR FRASER’S STATEMENT WELLINGTON, September 18. The Prime Minister announced today that, in response to an urgent request from Admiral Fraser, qteps are being taken to provide hospital accommodation for a number of sick prisoners of war and civilian internees from Hong Kong and the China coast. Admiral Fraser has stated that the only way .of dealing with these cases is to send them to temperate climates. The Minister of Health is now in touch with hospital boards enlisting their assistance,, while arrangements are being made by the Army for the use of available military hospital accommodation and convalescent depots. The Prime Minister said that a number of these cases who are seriously ill were at present in transit from the East, and while no information was available as to the exact date they would arrive in New Zealand, they were expected very . soon. Included among these sick prisoners of war and civilians will be some New Zealand personnel, but nd - information is 'available yet as to the numbers. The Prime Minister expressed confidence that the community would co-operate in affording relief and succour to these un r fortunate victims of Japanese aggression and cruelty.