OFFICIAL WELCOME HOME

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 79, 7 January 1944, Page 4

OFFICIAL WELCOME HOME

PRISONERS OF WAR AND W.A.AXVS Wellington, This Day. The best welcome which could be given to men returning from overseas would be given by their own people, said theTrime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, when welcoming a party of New Zealand furlough personnel, the majority of whom were soldiers arriving home, after being confined in Italian prisoner-of-war camps for approximately two years. One nurse and seven W.A.A.C. V.A.’s who had completed two years of hospital duty in the Middle East were also with the group. Mr Fraser said he was particularly glad to see the prisoners of war. and hoped they would be completely restored to health after spending some time with their own families. As a member of the Arawa tribe he considered himself qualified to welcome the five Maori members of the party in the absence of the Native Ministers. Mr Fraser urged those in the party to take full advantage of the medical facilities at then- disposal. It was their duty to see that their state of health was properly diagnosed when returning, so that future afflictions resulting from overseas service might be averted. Neglect of medical and dental examinations and X-rays deliberately lost what the Government and country was providing, he warned. A welcome was also given by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, the Minister of Rehabilitation, the Hon! C. F. Skinner, and Mr W. E. Leadley, Dominion executive member of the R.S.A. Members of local bodies also addressed the party.