NEW ZEALAND WOUNDED

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9174, 14 October 1915, Page 6

NEW ZEALAND WOUNDED

HOW THEY are: TREATED THE HOSPITAL ARRANGEMENTS. GALLIPOLI PENINSULA, Aug. 17. Tho hardest time for the wounded man is the time between his wounding and his being placed on board the hospital ship. In modern warfare he is liable to he wound' sd by bayonet thrust, rifle fire, madhine-gim fii'c, shrapnel, bomb, ordinatry shell, inflammatory shell, and Itigh explosive. In front of tho Germains he has the added horror of noxious gases. On the Peninsula the Turk has not descended to the same depths as his German friend in the uso of gas. His nearest approach to it lias been the firing of a few inflammatory shells, which have harmed noon.c. Altogether, he has fought a clean figjht, has shown much bravery and resource, and is respected by our troops, who, while thev will fight him to a,' finish, bear him no malice. We have also reason to believe that the Turk is treating such of our wounded as full into their hands in a merciful and humane manner. The Turkish medical service is said to bo good, and material cap Pared by the New Zealamders in the recent fighting leads us /to the conclusion that the enemy is ixderably well supplied with the medical and surgical necessities for an army in the field. It is rather a difficult matter getting our wounded out of idle steep and broken country that we Have recently taken, but everything t hat can be done is now being accomplished, and doctors and stretcher-bear'ers alike are still doing heroic work. Each man carries a first field dressing, and that, skilfully a pplied, often saves a lot of after trouble. Quite close to tho firing lino in the narrow gullies are established dressing stations. where wounds are p.roporly dressed by experienced surge ions. From these stations the wounded are borne on stretchers for . about a mile, and perhaps two miles, to tlho casualty clearing station, which is generally put in the shelter of a hill o r gully near the beach. At this point" during the last battle there was some trouble, due mainlv to insufficient transport facilities between tho'shore and the ships, and also to want of adequate shelter on shore. I : In regard to the No v Zealand wounded in particular, the;r have, owing to the action of the Clovernment, and the liberality of private individuals, all the time being naceiving exceptional treatment. Th e -hospital shins take them to Alexandria, Port Said, and Malta. Slight cases may bo landed at Imbros and MadSros, where there are tent hospitals. In Egypt the boats’ are met on arrhral by the New Zealand-Base Staff, under Colonel Charters, and by Chaplin ’Greene, of the Salvation Army, and the names are noted. Each man then , gets a redirection postcard, -which, on arrival at the hospital to which ’ he: is taken,, he fills in, so that prompt delivery by the Military Post Office oh letters, newspapers, telegrams, and parcels may be assured. In most cases, a soldier will bo on his way to the hospital while his letters may be on /their way to the Gallipoli Peninsula, arid in this ease there will he delay, bec:iuse the exigencies of the supply seirvice are such that at times the mails must be regarded- as of secondary importance. Apropos I may state -here tihat one load of mails—thirty-six bags—- went to the bottom of the sea off Imibros, so that if New Zealand correspondents do hot get replies to certain letters—private and official—-it may be pn’.t down to that accident. " ' Reverting to - the New s'ealand wounded in Egypt, the many hospitals to which wounded are sent are visited by one or other of- the New Z.ealand chaplains, whose special duty it is to supply the men with any immediate necessities they may require, such as shaving gear, ‘ toothbrush, handkerchiefs, writing paper, water he ds (in certain cases), crutches, sticks, underwear, cigarettes, tobacco, pipes, chocolate, fruit (in certain cases), newspapers, etc. Newspapers, whicih are supplied by the Government, and in some cases by .the newspaper _ proprietors, are always welcome. Britisli and other residents in Egypt have been most kind to our wounded, and to these people New Zealand owe s _ a special debt of gratitude, whicl i m most cases can. never be adequately repaid. At the beginning many of t hese women wont to a’ssist in hospitals when , there was a great strain on. the ordinary staffs. When the meir are fit to leave hospital many go into convalescent homes or camps established by the Government, and administered by a local committee. Lady Godley was the pioneer in this .good work, which she con-, tinues with judgment and There is a'committee for each centre. In Cairo the committee consists ,of Surgeon-General Ford, Director of Medical Services in Egypt, LieutenantColonel Hall, Camp Commandant, the senior medical officer, and Chapla in Angus Mao Donald. At- Alexandria the committee consists of Lady Godley, Colonel Charters, Captain Fit-z----herbert, and Chaplain Greene. Tlio Divisional Staff Officer in Egypt is, ex officio, a member ot both committees. At Malta the Red Cross Society; in conjunction with Chaplain Tobin, aro administering funds supplied by the Government to provide additional comforts for the wounded New Zealanders. Here alas Hie few devoted British residents are doing a great work amongst the man. ; ' ■ ■ , ’ When a. man is unfit for further service he is shipped hack to New Zealand. Generally he wants to get back into the firing line. He wishes, as ho puts it, “to rejoin the hoys.” He goes, back, and is wounded again, perhaps killed in action, to occupy a nameless grave in a Turkish trench or on some steep hillside or deep ravine. But he has given his all for England—Mother England—and his relatives mourning the loss of so gallant a son may dry their tears and assuage their sorrow with a glow of pride in such, an honourable sacrifice. In this fighting I have seen New Zealanders —and I have no doubt there are ( British, and Australians, too—who have come back until they have been wounded three times. Such a number of honourable scars should surely entitle them to surcease of strife! Altogether it may be said that New Zealand is looking .after her wounded as no other country is. The organisation and the energy displayed are as near perfection as possible under the circumstances. Indeed, one other Dominion, at least, has noted Sind admired our organisation. In conclusion, it may be said that it is pleasant ’to hear the wounded speak in terms of the highest praise of their officers. It was not always thus, but the New Zealand officers have shown in

battle that they are made of the right stuff. A wounded man in hospital expressed regret for once having called his officer “A damned old woman.” “I am very sorry 1 ever said that,” he told a friend, “for, by God, he died like a man and a gentleman I”