INVALIDED SOLDIEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LV, Issue 16850, 15 May 1918, Page 6

INVALIDED SOLDIEES.

■■. . . --- - ANOTHER LARGE DRAFT. ARRIVAL IN AUCKLAND? • v \ " COT CASES NUMBER EIGHTY, I ■ A hospital ship, with 541 invalided sol. v diers of all ranks, reached Auckland Yesterday morning, the Auckland section dis embarking in the evening. The majority" of the men, who were the first to arrive in t New Zealand wearing the regulation hor. ■':'*'" pital "blues," received their wounds in "-'; the fighting around Passehendaele in Octo. : ber last. There are a number of cases of -' tuberculosis, due to the effects of gas and ' : 'c of. shell-shock, but on the whole the men looked well under the circumstances. For ? this happy result the beneficial nature 'of the voyage has been largely responsible. <f& About 250 cot cases were embarked, but 'X only 80 remained when the vessel arrived One man has been disfigured in the face *| by German "mustard" gas. The electric massage apparatus which -1 was shipped in England proved of great value on the voyage, and many men owe ' t'h their present condition to the* treatment received on the way. Over 7000 treat- J ments were given. ,';

Two deaths marred a voyage which was otherwise a very happy one. Private C Thomas, whose next ot kin resides at Nydia Bay, Pelorus Sound, died at sea 12 days after leaving England, and Private C £ W. McKiniey, a South Dunedip man" died and was buried at an American port with full military honours. The firing party was composed of American soldiers!

Warm Welcome by Americans. The men speak highly of the welcoma they received at American pons. On ona occasion a tug, with a military band on board, met the hospital ship five miles out at sea and played her into port. Upon arrival all " walking " cases -were taken a trip by special train and lavishly enter- ; tained. At another port the American , citizens came in hundreds with motor-cars to give the patients an outing, and as one returned man remarked, " there were not sufficient soldiers to go round." The arrangements made by district headquarters for the medical boarding and the disembarkation of the men went without a hitch, and the work was performed with the utmost despatch. Th staff and voluntary workers were oa' board at 9 a.m., and worked with such expedition that the vessel was able to berth promptly at 5.50 p.m. Within half-an-hour the Auckland men were disembarked, and marched to the enclosure set apart for their next of kin. Here motor-cars supplied by private owners were in waiting, and without the slightest confusion the men and their rejoicing relatives were carried to their homes. The success of the arrangements reflects great credit on the local staffEarly in the morning -General Henderson, director-general of medical services, Colonel T. H. A. Valintine, director of military hospitals, and Colonel Patterson, officer commanding the districtwent on board. Major Price acted as .landing officer. The Mayor, Mr. J H Gunson. Mr. A. J. Enirican, and Mr. H. D. Heather, chairman of the Harbour Board, visited the vessel at an early hour, and gave the- draft an informal welcome. Ladies of the Patriotic Society also visited the ship, and handed out fruit and cigarettes to the veterans. The vessel was under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel. P. R. Cook, Captain It. j- M Spence being adjutant. The medical officers were Major B. J. Dudley. Major H. Hardwick Smith, Captain B U A deeper, Captain J. B. MacDiarmid' and Captain H. A. Vivian. The. dental officer was Captain Lichfield. Matron -A. Bagley was in charge of the nursing staff.

■ ■ Splendid Records.... of .Service. ' ■ Among those who have returned is Caption Thomas Peake, of Roto-o-rangi. who 1 1 ti eW r Zealand as a. corporal in the Auckland Mounted Rifles. In Egypt he was transferred with a commission to the Middlesex Regiment, the reserve unit of which is commanded by his father, Lieu-tenant-Colonel H.;. R. Peake. : Captain Peake served with the Middlesex Regiment in France until Passchendaele, where he received his fourth wound, being severely injured on the spine, ,- The Peake family Sll* 1 ord - One brother, Sergeant G. Peake, left in the New Zealand .infantry, was wounded on Gallipoli and _in France and is now discharged. Lieutenant- R. H. Peake left as a private in the New Zealand infantry, was wounded S? * he A Somme and is now in **» Royal Field Artillery in France. Captain Allen Peake served in the Middlesex Regiment early m the war, and after being wounded at Ypres wa given duty in England'e-,v, r !„«£-♦ w£- #'- A % a who *» returned, p2i,w ae . Mam Bod y» ™» mounded on Gallipoli and returned to New Zealand, leaving again.as an officer in the tenth reinforcements. He was wounded at Passchendaele. Captain Hedge left with the tenth reinforcements Rifle Brigade, and . served through the fighting on the Somme, -at 22 e 5 d ? de .« Bd . Polygon Wood, being wounded in the right arm. Lieutenant L. M. Tansey, ofßaetihi. ten as a non-commissioned officer iin • the ongmal Rifle Brigade, and gained hkf com mission on the field. - - b°""» ms com Captain A.McG. Grant, who was formery ° the *? ° theAucHamS pital, served with the original RifleTßrigade and served with the Third Field Am-fc^eff^ol-gafo " ~» "**•