GALLIPOLI VETERANS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17064, 24 July 1917, Page 6

GALLIPOLI VETERANS

PLEA IFOR A LENGTHY FURLOUGH.

RETURNED SOLDIERS MOVING.

CFhom Oub Own Cobbebpondknt.) AUCKLAND, July 23 An appeal for furlough tor veterans of Uallipoh who are still on active service was made by several speakers at a gathering of the returned men of tho Auckland Mounted Rifles on Saturday evening. With regard to tho statement of Sir James Allen that ho doubted if the remnant of tho Alain Body would accept relief if it were ottered to them, several troopers who have not long been back from Sinai Peninsula said tho Minister's opinion was not correct. It was emphatically asserted that worn-out men .'of tho "Old Brigado" would gladly wuJcomo tho opportunity of ooming homo to see their friends and havo a rest away from tho sand and discomforts which theyhave endured with such cheerful courage for nearly threo years. The remnant, they nuimtained, was now so small that its transportation home presented no insurmountable difficulty. Several discharged soldiers expressed tho opinion that sufficient volunteers might be found among returned soldiers to relievo the Gallipoli vetokl Da k bUt A d^ übfc on *; his P° int was caressed by Mr Andrews, who said that 200 members of tho Auckland Returned Soldiers' Association Had already enlisted, thereby the number of those who have recovered sufficiently from their wounds to r- n° r acfclve service again. l'inally a resolution was carried stronirlv urg,n~ the Minister of Defence to dlow Sn'TT' force to rett,* I 6W Zcaiaad °n six months' furE thoS ° P re l ßnt . Pigging themselves to endeavour to obtain as many volunteers hMn r amon S ] the returned soldiers to o -tiS 17 a force. The secretary of the Returned Soldiers' Association announced that he would open a list for he in a relief forco, and one or two of those present declared their intention of oinfng this if it were sanctioned. , J"»»ng