SOLDIERS RETURN HOME.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LVI, Issue 17145, 26 April 1919, Page 9

SOLDIERS RETURN HOME.

CONTINGENT ON BHAMO. TOTAL OF 774 ALU RANKS. LANDING OF THE TROOPS. WELCOME IN AUCKLAND. The transport Bhamo, which armed at Auckland at 8 p.m. on Thursday with j draft No. 234, comprising 26 officero, seven i nurses, and 741 men of other ranks, mem-1 bars of the New Zealand Exneditionnn,* Force, berthed yesterday morning. The day broke beautifully fine, a warm sun shining out from a cloudless sky, and a very gentle zephyr blowing, thus making j the conditions ideal for the welcoming home of a body of soldiers, who had been playing their part- in maintaining the traditions of the British Empire. I As the vessel lay at anchor a ferry boat ; and launches conveying next of kin cruised round her, and a seap'ane from the Flying School at Kohimarama dropped meesaces of welcome and cigarettes and other little , presents for the men. Punctually at 8.30 a.m. the liner was abreast of the end of the Queen's Wharf.: and aft that moment the ships in the har-

bour and at the wharves blared forth their welcome from the sirens, accompanied by a salute from Fort Cautley. As the lines were made fast and the gangway lowered, the troops were welcomed by the officer commanding the Auckland military district, Colonel H R. Potter, C.M.0., and Lieutenant-Colonel J. E. Duigac, D.5.0., the Mayor, Mr. J. H. Gunson, Mr. A. J. Entrican, and the chairman of the Auckland Harbour Board. Mr. H. D. Heather. Work of Disembarkation. The work of d : sembark*tion was commenced at once, and as the men filed off the gangway they were met by the Ministerine Committee of the Auckland Women's Patriotic Association, who provided them' with refreshments. This done, the Volunteer Motor Corp.';, under Mr. A. A. Martin, took up its share of the work, and in Icsb than one hour and a-half all the Auckland men. with the'r next-of-kin, making a total of abiut 2500, were on their way to their homes. Many of the men were conveyed to districts as far distant as Manurewa and New Lynn. The men belonging to the Rotorua, Thames, Paeroa, and Waihi districts left j by train at 9.40 a.m.. the Helens

men being despatched at 10.40. Southern details loft by special train at 8 p.m., ' and those troops whose homes are in the Whangarei, Hokianga, and Noriattn districts embarked on the Manaia at 10 p.m. I Major R. Logan, N.Z.5.0., was officer commanding the troops, and Captain H. S. Gabites, M.C., of Timara, acted as adjutant. Other officers on duty were :— ! Quartermaster, Lieutenant A. S. Mulligan, M.M.. D.C.M., of Wintonj medical staff, Major t. Fergus, of Dunedin, and Captain U. A. B. Davies, of Levin; chaplain, Rev. A. 6. Irvine; sister in charge of nurses, Sister £. E. Crispin. In addition to the members of the N.Z.C.F., there also returned a number of New Zealanders who had been torving in. the English Army, and 14 officers brought their wives with them. Minor Oases of Sickness. There were no men suffering' from serious wounds, but four were classified as cot cases, through sickness. Two cases o'/ influenza developed while the vessel was between Glasgow and Colon, but the last patient was declared free of the complaint on March 28. A number of the soldiers also contracted mumps, and 23 who were suffering from the ailment When the ship reached Auckland were sent to Narrow Neck camp, where they will be kept in isolation. The Bhamo embarked the trorps at Glasgow on March 10, and sat ed the following day, Colon be'ng reached on March 29. Balb a was left on the fo lowI ing afernoon, and from that date a good trip was experienced until April 19, when i strong head winds were encountered, as l a result of which the arrival of the vessel j was delayed by one day. ! I Keen appreciation of the hospitality ex-! tended to them by American citizens of 1 the Panama Canal was expressed by the men. At Colon all the troops were allowed leave from 10 a.m. until 11 p.m., and they were entertained by the local brand es of the Y.M.O.A. and Red Cross, each of which are said to be splendid i | organisations. At the various locks large J i crowds assembled and showered the j | vessels with cigarrttes, tobacco, magazines, fruit, and sweetmeats, the expressions of good fellowship being con- ! tinned until trie vessel was leaving Balboa. Here a launch, with a military band on board, escorted it for a short distance to s?a. • , J Ow'ng to the restricted deck space, the troope were handicapped in their recreation activities, nevertheless many success-' fulsconoerts were held, thus adding to the enjoyment of the voyage. Educational classes were also carried on, most interest being taken in that for instruction in dairy farming. I i . ! BROTHERS MEET ABROADSEPARATION OF 18 YEARS, j . , } NEW ZEALANDERS' EXPERIENCE. An experience in the lives of Captain J. A. Wilson, commander of the transport Bhamo, which arrived at Auck'and on i Thursday ni<rht, and of his brother, Lieui tenant J H. Wilson, M.C. and M.M., l with bar, of the New Zealand Expedi- ' tionary Force, is probably as unusual as it is romantic. Born in Dunedin, Captain Wi'son joined the mercanti 1 © marine a* a youth, and in 1899 he left the Dominion before the mast. In the years thai have elanßed since then he gradually won promotion, until he obtained h ; s master's certificate, and was given command of some of the lar?e liners. During that time ho did not visit the Dominion, neither did he seo ; s brothers. His younger brother, Lieutenant J. H. W'lson, left the Dominion with the fifth reinforcement as a private, I and after ferv-'ce in Gallipoli and in France I was nominated for a commission and w;th- ■ drawn to Cambridge, England, for trainine. Knowins ! he name of the steamship company by which his brother was emi nloyed. he made inauiriw as to the ship ,ho was commanding. Thus, after a Wo of 18J years, he met h''s brother. W ; th ■ the cessation of hostilities, the two , brothers decide/1 to trv to retnrn to the I Dominion together. Captain WiYon P"c- ■ reeded in obtainine a transfer to _ the Bhnmo as comm»nder. and the mi'itorv n"t>irities agreed to allnw Lieu'enant i Wilson to travel by the same steamer. I