ARRIVAL HOME

New Zealand Herald, Volume 80, Issue 24635, 14 July 1943, Page 2

ARRIVAL HOME

AUCKLAND SOLDIERS TWO SPECIAL TRAINS CROWDS BESIEGE STATION MOVING WELCOME SCENES Auckland members of the Second New Zealand Fxpeditionary force furlough draft arrived in the city yesterday by two special trains from Wellington. As the trains reached the station hundreds of young veterans ol the Middle Fast campaigns eagerly climbed down from their carriages and were at once enveloped by the sea of excited people who packed the long assembly area. It was impossible not to he moved by the welcome which the men were given. From the moment, the trains were sighted, the crowd of manv thousands loosed their feelings and gave their men a reception which they will always remember Arrival Scenes Children, many of them waving small flags, appeared suddenly on the shoulders of adults. .Men cheered. Women expressed their emotions and cheered, called out, waved and wept. The whole crowd, which had been quietly controlling its impatience, became alive, and surged forward to the platform. The whistles of other trains blew "Hip-hip-hurrahs." The music from a hand was lost in the happy uproar of noise. From every window of each train leaned soldiers, and every carriage platform had some more. Many waved and shouted. Others were quiet. They did not seem to have changed much since they went away three to three and a-halt years ago. They were lean and hard and (it. and maybe much more mature. Affecting Reunions As soon as the trains stopped the men began jumping down to the platform and started the seemingly impossible task of linding their own people. Some were lucky, but others were still searching, as were their relatives, long after the first had begun to be taken away in the motor-cars and buses which the Army had provided for them. Everywhere a soldier in the peaked New Zealand hat, with overseas tabs on his shoulders, was to be seen surrounded by excited clusters of civilians, mothers, fathers, wives, sweethearts, brothers, sisters and children.

Many of the people in the crowd had learned after going to the station that their own boys were in the second train. Whatever disappointment they may have felt was concealed hv ihc pleasure which they showed 'while watching other relatives greet their menfolk. It was typical of New Zealanders that, when the moments of reunion finally arrived, and the stored up feelings of several years had at last a chance to be released, most of the talk was in commonplaces. The. rest was kept for home. Large Crowds Gather

it took more than an hour for tin' great afternoon crowd to sort itself out and leave tin,' station. Before the first train arrived 'J lie Strand and Honayne Street, adjoining the arrival platform, had been lined with more than 200 cars and buses. Hundreds of other cars lined .Beach (load and every near by approach to the station, in addition to the thousands of people who jammed the assembly areas, hundreds more were to be seen at every point which offered some view of the platforms or the routes taken by the cars after collecting their passengers. J he station has never before had such a crowd of people or an assemblage of vehicles, and the afternoon scenes were duplicated at night, when the second train came in to a. floodlit platform and a storm ot cheering. .V forewarning of the size of the crowds had been given in the morning, when a train carrying men for areas north of Auckland stopped for some time at Newmarket. More than 1000 people went to the station, although comparatively few ol the troops on the train had next-of-kin in the oil v.

All three trains were delayed on the journey by slips in the centre of the island. The morning train was almost two hours late, the first Auckland train reached the city at about -J.15 p.m. instead of 1.85. and the second Auckland train came in at about 7..'50 instead of 3.30. No Official Reception lo the joy of soldiers and relatives, no official reception was held at the station. The Mayor. .Mr. .1. A. C. Allum, and the officer commanding the district. Major-General P. H. ~Bell. D.5.0.. were at the station, but nothj ing was done to delay the reunions of i the men and their people. With the assistance of such organisations as the Red Cross Transport . Corps and the Commercial Travellers and "Warehousemen s Association, the Army made complete arrangements for taking the men to their homes, ft also attended to the rapid sorting of luggage. and, although the size of the crowd created special difficulties, all the arrangements were carried out with creditable efficiency. WELL-KNOWN ATHLETES MEMBERS OF DRAFT Included in the draft of soldiers who arrived in Auckland yesterday were several who took a prominent part in various forms of athletic sports before their enlistment for overseas service. Among the better known were Captain 11. K. .Brains by, former Auckland and New Zealand hop. step and jump champion, Auckland University, New Zealand University and Auckland provincial long jump champion, and representative at the British Umpire Games in London in 19.34; Warrant-Officer H W. Batty. Grammar Old Bo vs. Auckland. North Island and New Zealand Rugby representative, who won the Military Medal in North Africa last year; and Sergeant U. de M. Wellbourne. Auckland and New Zealand hookey representative. THE PA HI ATI* A V.C. ,or i PA 111 ATUA, Tuesday One of the largest and most represent afive gatherings of settlors in the district assembled at Mangamairo station to welcome Second-Lieutenant K. Elliott, V.C. The station was hedecked with flags, and school children were present iu force. The Victoria Cross winner was welcomed l,v his mother, lather and sisters. Thev, Lieutenant Uiliott and Private IU Matthews, who also returned, adjourned | to the home o! Mr. Burge.xs, whose son was killed at f lie war. At the house, iho men en.joved their first meal ashore. Mr. M, R, Lawxon, ex-president of the Pahiatua U.S.A., welcomed the num. and Lieutenant Elliot in typically modest fashion, replied that all the men did as good a job as he hail done, and he could not understand the fuss. SMOKERS' REQUISITES (P.A.) WISLI/1 NOT(UN. Tuesday The Canteen Board has announced I that, members of the Second N.Z.U.U. tit present on furlough have the facility ot procuring for their personal consumption smokers' requisites in military establishments throughout New Zealand and from canteen stores in Auckland, Palmerston North, Wellington, Blenheim, Christchureh and Dunedin. WOMAN IDENTIFIED The woman who was found injured in Swanson Street on Monday night and was admitted to the Auckland Hospital with a scalp wound was Mrs. Violet May Bueknor, aged 11, of 11 linta Street. New J,ynu, Her condition last night was satisfactory.