NEW ZEALANDERS IN EGYPT.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXIX, Issue LXIX, 20 May 1915, Page 7

NEW ZEALANDERS IN EGYPT.

INTERESTING INCIDENTS

Corporal Salmon (who has since been reported as wounded in action at the Dardanelles), in writing to hi 3 father, Mr T. B. Salmon, postmaster at Hawera, on April 2 (iiood Friday), refers to a number of interesting incidents connected with the so;ourn of 'the New Zealanders in Egypt, with special reference to " things "as seen from the Engineers' point of- view Inter alia, he gives the* following realistic description- of- a review held by General Sir lan Hamilton.:—

Good Friday, 2nd April, 1915 — Quite an eventful* week and day! We goti reviewed by General Sir lan Hamilton, who has come to take charge of the Allied forces in the Meditermtne^ n- Jt was d very Dl*2 afternoon. ihe General arrived and reviewed us^— started the actual march -naat at 2.30 p.m. At 6.20 p.m. the review finished! And this was in column of companies. One is appalled with the thought that] m about two or three days, this huge' number of men could be killed and be non-existent. At every review (we have had four), I am always thrilled. First, the arrival of the- Person inspecting, and the order "from our General Godley of, "New Zealand Division, general salute; present arms!" A bugle sounds one single note and the note is taken up by other bugles. Then | a pause of a second.- And with one bi<*i movement, one single movement, the whole 30,000 men present arms. Then the united bands (12 in number), strike up The salute is . . . The salute finishes. Another command, a Ibugle blast; and the whole body come to the slope as one man. . Greetings over, the! two generals canter along to the beginning of the line. So we are stood! at ease. In about a half hour the staff folk anprqaoh our company (we come immediately after the artillery^). We <vmie to the "attention." 'General Hamilton then inspects us. The sappers were in front, the.N.C.O.'s next, the cyclists next, then the tool and forage carts, then the pack horses, the mounted men, and behind, the po^too^s, waggons, trestles, etc., and," still behind, the water waggon and ambulance people. Such . was our company. General Hamilton expressed great surprise that we were a rully equipped field company. He impressed us very I much, because he looked each one of,! us straight in the. face. No shiftiness? 1 about him at all. He was reported to' wave afterwards said that it seemed as I if he was being inspected, and not he! inspecting us. We looked him as squarely in the face as he did us. Evidently the Regulars do not do this. He was also very surprised that New Zealand had such modern artillery pieces. We are proud of the fact that we have the last word in 18-pounder field pieces and 4.7 howitzers, and still more batteries yet to come. General Godley is responsible for this. ■ We are told that we are the only colonials with such modern pieces.

The General passes, and we again stand "at ease/ After going the whole length of the division, the General goes back to the saluting base, under the shade of a hu^e New Zealand ensign. The march past starts. First, the mounted, then trie artillery, then the engineer companies, then the infantry, then the medical corps, then the A.S.C. And on this day, "our two companies of Maoris marched past a.t the end of tilings. To pet- back to our own little company. We marched.past in rather good style, in spite of the heavy sand. At the saluting point we evidently had a beautiful line." because General Hamilton turned around to General Godley,,and, nodding twice as he said it, he said, "Very good; very good!". As I was right guide I heard this very plainly. And so endeth the review.

This will be the last review in Egypt, in all probability, as we have been given definite notice of going—namely, early next week. Wo to to a country I ether than Egypt, ana" to a cold climate. Where we are going, it is alleged, there are no roads. So we have to construct them before any traffic can be v carried anywhere. So' we are evidently in for. something.' • After referring to various minor incidents, and to successive postponements of the departure from Egypt, Corporal Salmon, writing on April 9, «nys that the' departure had then been finaily fixed for Saturday night, or early on Sunday morning. In conclusion, he says:— The infantry are very quiet about their departure. There is no shouting I or jubilation. Everyone is. cheerful, j however, and one gets the opinion that| they all realise the seriousness of what is in front of them. Yesterday I got leave to go to Cairo. I spent my small por-ket savings in buying a slide-rule j;nd a Molesworth pocket book. I reckoned that the usefulness of' them an,} the added efficiency of myself to the Empire was more than worth the Dutl.-.y. The O.C. wanted me to get !»i;ri one also, but there was only one ohiainnble in Cair6. My position as a supper, and his as a major, demanded Thut I should give him the pocket book. Tnit only for my suggesting it, he wouldn't have thought of it. So I '!i;l *xhe colonial thing and offered to tt,ss him for it! It is hard to iiiagine ;» 'T-.*tnnm'" saying such a thing to his O.C. But such incidents are common in colonial arsnies, and are not taken advantage of by the rank and file. The pocket book is now mine.

I 1.? wo Court tin's afternoon Mr Kennek. K.iV!., entered up judgment in the ■-'■i-ider easo Carroll v. Garden, and ;i\<-;l-the costs against plaintiff as fol!(ius: Court, £1 14s; solicitor's fee, l:\U: witnesses' expenses, £8 18s*10d. \if O'H'.\a cave notice of appeal, the MuiHstrate fixing the amount of secni-- ;•■;•• fr.r nnpeal at £40 12s l.Od (including tiic ;;'iove costs).