WAR VETERAN'S RETURN

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXV, Issue 19953, 23 May 1928, Page 12

WAR VETERAN'S RETURN

CASE OF GEORGE McQUAY. ARRIVAL AT WELLINGTON. RECOGNITION OF RELATIVES. [BY TELEGRAPH. —OWN CORRESPONDENT. ] WELLINGTON. Tuesday. The New Zealand soldier, George Thomas McQuay, who had been regarded as a "missing" victim of the Great War, until he was discovered in an Australian hospital recently, arrived in Wellington from Sydney to-day by tho Maunganui. Ho was accompanied by his mother, who went from Stratford to Sydney to identify him an.d bring him home from tho Callon Park Hospital, and by two attendants from that institution. They were met at the wharf by relatives. Although ho was on tho top deck of the steamer when it drew in to the wharf, George McQuay recognised his brother and sister at once, and called out greetings to them. He will undergo special treatment, and it is confidently anticipated that his health will before long be such as will permit of his removal to his home in Stratford. Mrs. McQuay said her son left with the sth New Zealand Reinforcements. "He was then about 25 years of age," she said. "He is now 38. At present he is suffering from the effects of shell shock and is always complaining of a terrible headache." The officials of Callan Park had prepared her son to meet her on her arrival there, and each recognised the other instantly. " I went to sea him every day," said Mrs. McQuay, "and although he could not count more than five when 1 first saw him, he seemed to improve every day. W T hen we left Sydney he could play quite a good game of euchre, counting the points as well. The doctors in Sydney noticed the improvement and are hopeful that ho will recover. " it has been a great joy to have him restored to us, for wo counted him as missing. We had no official information concerning him of any kind. One boat stated to be bringing information about him was sunk." Mrs. McQuay said that at times her son appeared quite normal, , but would relapse into quiet periods, such as had been his condition through the years he had been in the Sydney hospital. It was hoped these relapses would ultimately disappear. Mrs. McQuay took occasion to thank publicly tho New Zealand Government, especially Hon. F. J. Rolleston, the Australian Government, and various interested bodies, for tho interest and assist-* ance given her in regard to her son. \ " I have come back to New Zealand with a very much lighter heart," she said, "and with feelings of intenso gratitude to all. I feel it is only a question of time when he will have his mind fully restorod."