PRAISE FOR NURSES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 10 September 1941, Page 7

PRAISE FOR NURSES

“ABSOLUTELY' WONDERFUL” The strong bond of friendship which txisted between the nurses and ships’ staff and the returning soldiers was strikingly evident on all sides when the men were disembarking. As they filed down the gangway there was a final handshake, and a cheerful, encouraging smile for each of them from the attractive and efficient-looking nurses and the other members of the 1 company. “We have a lot to thank these nurses tor,” said one soldier. “They have been absolutely wonderful.” In saying this, he was putting into words the feelings of all of the men. A fine tribute was paid by the Maori soldiers in a printed appreciation of the efforts of the ship’s captain and the ship’s personnel. They expressed their thanks for the undivided care and attention they received. “Such kindness will for ever linger down our pathway of happy memories—it will be broadcast throughout our pas so , that our people may remember and rejoice with us,” said the Maoris. “Wars among nations are our heavy , trials in life; and we are judged by the part we play and the side we take. You, who are playing the part of the Good Samaritan, will not be working in vain, for in His time victory among Allied nations will be our reward. The triendship showered upon us, irrespective of class, colour, and creed, is the true spirit of sisterhood and brotherhood. TOBRUK GETS ITS SHARE The view that Tobruk will never be taken by the enemy was expressed by a member of a railway unit who was stationed on one of the water-barges in the harbour engaged in supplying water and other supplies to the navy. “We went in after Tobruk was taken and we were bombed almost continuously,” he said. “There were 28 New Zealanders on the barges, and a checking crew of 60 New Zealanders and 20 Aussies on the wharf, and I saw the chap next to me—a New Zealander — get ‘his’ from a bomb. They bombed us every day. In one month there were 22 day raids and 110 night raids, and the Jerries had as many as 50 and 60 planes coming over at one time. They made it darned hot for us, and they bombed out a detachment of Greek volunteers. In fact, they bombed everything, but they’ll never get in there. The harbour is about two miles by one and a quarter miles, and altogether the enemy has sunk 37 I ships of all kinds. Because of the | constant bombing of a hospital ship .we had to evacuate the wounded at I night in Aussie destroyers.” AIR TRANSPORT FOR WOUNDED 1 Relying for the authenticity of his statement on the fact that it had been published in the N.Z.E.F. newspaper in Cairo, a man invalided home said the Germans in Crete had been using aeroplanes to take back to Greece New Zea - land wounded in Crete. Dictates of humanity, of course, demanded that casualties be given the benefit of uroper hospital treatment, but it was indicative of British control of the Mediterranean that the Germans had to have recourse to air transport.