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Hokitika Guardian, 4 December 1940, Page 1

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65 MEN RETURN

(Per Press Association—Copyright)

WELLINGTON, December 3. Sixty-five members of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force have been invalided back from the Middle East. They returned to the Dominion to-day, after an absence ' of eleven months.

The men left Egypt with 28 soldiers who reached New Zealand a few weeks ago, but the party was split up at Bombay, and the 65 men who returned today spent two months in India. Part of the time they were in hospital at Poona, and part of the time were in a rest camp.

The mein were medically examined this morning, and they will be recommended for for a spe]] in hospital, or for whatever treatment the medical authorities decide. Those who do not require immediate hospital treatment have been granted four weeks’ leave and transport to their homes. When interviewed, most of the men expressed their delight at being gack in New Zealand. Every man spoken to said that lie had no regrets about entering the army ) and Several said that they hoped to be given a chance to return to a war station.

Most of the men saw something of the forward positions at Mersa Matrun in-. Egypt. “There was plenty of sand, heat, and flies to make the conditions uncomfortable for ns," said one, “but our chief complaint is that the Italians did not have a go at us and give us something real to do."

These men’s experience of enemy action was confined to the Italian bombing raids on Alexandria and to a raid that was made by Italian aircraft on shipping in Aden when the New Zealanders were on board the hospital ship which took them to India.

“We were lying alongside a troopship, said one man, “but the nearest bomb fell about a. quarter of a mile away. The Italians were not game enough to fly sufficiently low to hit their targets, and none of 50 to 60 ships in port was hit. It was the same in forward positions. Enemy ’planes were so high that it was impossible to sight them with machineguns."

The men spoke highly of their reception in Melbourne, where they spent five (lays, when en route to Sydney. From Australia to ISew Zealand the draft were in charge of Major W. R. Walsh, of the Southern Command Headquarters, Melbourne, and they were also accompanied by an Australian Army doctor, Captain Colin Clark. An Australian sergeant and four orderlies wore with the draft, two from India.'and two from Australia. The list includes Private A. R. Nalder, A.S.C., of Murchison.