HOSPITAL SHIPS

Grey River Argus, 19 September 1945, Page 5

HOSPITAL SHIPS

ARRIVAL IN N.Z. P.A. 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 Aden. The Empire Clyde, now an Admiralty hospital ship, is the former Italian ship, Loenard'o da Vinci, 12,000 tons, built in 1925, as a cargo ship but soon converted to a 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 Abysinnia, 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.

The Prime Minister announced today that, in response to an urgent request from Admiral Fraser, steps 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 temperale 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. P.A. 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 is in within a few days of New Zealand. Its passengers will require immediate hosnital attention and Auckland is asked to accommodate at least 200. The Health Deoartment has appealed to Auckland and it is understood to other centres to take prompt steps to provide hospital accomodation for the passengers on the ship. No particulars of the numbers, age, sex or even nationality, ol 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 bOO aboard is on the way.