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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 80, 6 August 1945, Page 4

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THIRTY NELSON SOLDIERS

PRISONERS OF WAR FROM UNITED KINGDOM A parly of 39 Nelson and Marlborough soldiers who had been prisoners of war arrived in Nelson yesterday morning. There were 30 for the Nelson district and 9 for Marlborough. All these men had been in the United Kingdom and their arrival in Wellington late on Saturday afternoon accounted for the necessarily late advice received by their next-of-kin. The relatives and friends of the returning men who gathered on the wharf yesterday morning had a long wait for the arrival of the Matangi. The ferry steamer was expected to berth at about 7 o’clock but thdre was a heavy fog in 4he bay and it was not until about 9.30 a.m. that th' Matangi loomed up through the fog outside the entrance. The fog horn on the mole had been in operation since 6.15 a.m. and there were a number of false alarms when people, anxious to obtain the first sight of the vessel, thought they saw her outline moving along outside the Boulder Bank. However, at about 9 o’clock the Matangi’s fog horn was heard and that was the first definite indication of her presence somewhere off the entrance to the harbour. The Nelson Garrison and City Pipe bands were on the wharf at an early hour and they remained to play appro, priate music as the Matangi came up the harbour and berthed. The selections played by both bands to entertain those waiting on the wharf were greatly appreciated. No formal welcome was held at the wharf but the Mayor of Nelson (Mr E. R. Neale), the Mayor of Richmond (Mr A R. Tuffnell), the President of the Nelson R.S.A. (Mr U. R. L. West) accompanied by the secretary (Mr R. A. Stedman), went aboard and met the men. On disembarking the men were gathered into their family groups and were seen on the way to their homes. The nine Marlbovough men were taken to the Fighting Services Club for breakfast before leaving for Blenheim and Kaikoura. THOSE WHO RETURNED HOBY, Capt. S. B. Mrs M. V. Hoby, 222 Collingwood-st., Nelson (m). SULLIVAN, Capt. J. G. (Mid.). Mr M. J. Sullivan, Richmond, Nelson (f). BATCHELOR, Pte. N. Mrs A. A. Batchelor, 174 Rutherford-st., Nelson (m). BEACH, Pte. L. Mrs F. N. Beach, Queen-st., Richmond, Nelson (m). BOVEY, Pte. A. C. Mrs J. A. Bovey, 149 Haven-rd., Nelson (w). BROWN, Pte. R. Mrs J. M. Brown, c/o Mr W. Harford, R.M.D. Richmond, Nelson (w). BUSCHL, Pte. L. W. Mr W. Buschl, Hope, Nelson (f). CHRISTIAN, Pte. P. S. Mrs A. Christian, Hope, Nelson (m). CARE-COTTRELL, Pte. E. Mr H. Care-Cottrell, P.B. Appleby, Nelson (f). CRAIG, Pte. J. S. Mrs L. L. Craig, Main-rd., Stoke (m). DALTON, Pte. T. R. Mrs W. Dalton, Tarakohe, Takaka (m). HAWKES, Pte. I. W. Mr W. M. Hawkes, R.M.D. Wakefield, Nelson ( f)■ HICKEY. Pte. J. Mrs M. H. Hickey, 37 Anstice’s Bldgs., Trafalgar-st., Nelson (m). HILL. Spr. G. L. Mrs C. E. Hill, Green Lane, Motueka (w). HOW AT, Dvr. R. J. Mrs M. Howat, 263 Vanguard-st., Nelson (w). HULME. Sgt. G. 8.. Nelson; Mr H. C. Hulme, New Plymouth (f). JONES, Pte. P. J. Mr A. Jones, 28 Cambria-st., Nelson (f). KERR, Pte. J. W. Mrs T. L. Kerr, 2 * Oldham Lane, Nelson (w). LESTER, Spr. N. K. Mrs E. J. Lester, 8 Trafalgar Square, Nelson (w). LLOYD, Pte. J. H. Mrs M. Lloyd, 193 Haven-rd., Nelson (m). LUSTY, Pte. G. Mrs C. Lusty, Champion-rd., Richmond, Nelson (m). McBRYDIE, Pte. R. Mrs N. Mcßrydie, Queen Victoria-st., Motueka (m). McPHERSON, Pte. G. Mr A. McPherson, 8 Hastings-st., Nelson (f). MOTHES, Cpl. J. R. Mrs V. M. Sutherland, 2 Allan-st., Nelson (s). ROGERS, L/Cpl. N. S. Mr H. N. Rogers, c/o S. Elliott, 26 Toi Toist., Nelson (f). SATHERfILEY, Pte. B. C. Mrs B. M. Satherley, 98 Russell-st., Nelson (w). SILCOCK, Tpr. C. W. Mr C. A. Silcock, Thorpe. Nelson (f). SYME. S/Sgt. G. Mrs U. E. Syme, 20 Brook-st., Nelson (w). WIN, L/Cpl. R. B. Mrs E. M. Smith, Thorpe, Nelson (m). A Nelson airman who arrived with the party was:— RANDERSON, L.A.C. K. D. Mr C. D. Randerson, 87 Mount-st., Nelson (O. Five other Nelsonians who arrived in Wellington with the party will return to Nelson later. They are:— NEALE, Capt. H. C. Mrs N. R. Neale, Stoke, Nelson (m). DAY, Spr. C. L. Mrs A. W. Day, 79 Rutherford-st., Nelson (m). GASKIN, Dvr. R. D. Mrs H. V. Gaskin, 8 Bridge-st., Nelson (w). McEWAN, Pte. J. A. Mr A. McEwan, 125 Tasman-st., Nelson (f). TAYLOR, Spr. E. T. Mrs C. J. L. Taylor, 418 Brook-st., Nelson (w).

LARGEST DRAFT YET

1160 MEN BACK Wellington, This Day. Fourteen hundred New Zealand .colliers, of whom 1370 are former prisoners of war, 130 airmen and 42 wives and children, returned to New Zealand f>n Saturday by a 36,000-ton British liner which once took a large contingent, of the 2nd X.Z.E.F. overseas. The return of these ex-prisoners now means that one-third of those released when (lie Germans were overrun and finally beaten are home again. Many of those just back reached England from the Continent early in May, and they are .satisfied at the speed with which they have been returned home. This is the largest number of ex-pri-soners of war to be returned. Their thoughts are not in the past, hut the future; jobs, homes, prospects, and catching up on all the news of what lias happened since they left New Zealand. in some cases, six years ago. Of the 1400 soldiers. 152 belonged lo Wellington. 127 to Hawke's Bay-Gisborne, 36 to the Manawatu. 124 to Taranaki. 50 to Nelson-Marlborough, 26 to the Wairarap'a. All are jiow home, or, in the ease of those of. the 437 South Islanders living south of Christchurch, on the way. When firry tirst reached England they were, to u.se their own words, a bit tongue-tied. But the welcome for them, official and Unofficial, soon overcame (he shyness. The New Zealand and Home authorities and the people wherever they Avent, could not do enough for them. One soldier related how lie used to go out without the familiar New Zealand peaked hat because (his ready identification led to embarrassing hospitality.