RETURNING ANZACS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17575, 17 March 1919, Page 5

RETURNING ANZACS.

DRAFT OF MAIN BODY MEN. TROOPSHIP'S ARRIVAL AT WEL- , UNGTON. TKe troopdiip Horarata was berthed at. - V ■Wellington at 2 o'clock on Saturday afternoon, and disembarkation proceeded -without delay. The returning soldiers were greeted by a large crowd, who accorded . > them a most enthusiastic welcome. There - was a plentiful display of bunting on the - harbour ships and in the city. Seven '• ; bands took part in the general rejoicing. The Hororaia sails for Auckland in the even- • ing. CHRISiTCHDRJCH'S WELCOME. SOLDIERS ENTHUSIASTICALLY f 'H H-RRK O (Pse United Pexss Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, March 16. The Mararoa with the southern' section of the Horoiata's draft was bedecked with bunting when she entered Lyttelton Har- v hour this morning. A huge crowd on the' -' V wharf gave the men an enthusiastic recep- ' ■ tion. At the Christchurch railway station the men were enthusiastically greeted by an immense crowd of people, the largest seen there since the return of the first of the wounded men very early in the war.' The , ' men will be accorded a formal public welcome on Tuesday. WAR-WORN HEROES. ARRIVAL AT' DUNEDIN. One of the largest crowds that hes yet assembled to ,do honour, to our returning ; : soldiers on their retnirn from ; the front :•• gathered at the Dunedin station last , night to welcome the southern draft of the men • •who returned to New Zealand by the troopship Hororata. The southern portion of to draft comprised about 280 men, and of '7 these about 200, accompanied by 35 next-of- ' kin, arrived at the Dunedin station about - v 9.20 p.m. by special troop train from Christ- : church. The train journey, though Bome- ■ i what prolonged, proved very enjoyable to' the men, who were enthusiastically received at the various stations en - route. With few : • exceptions the returning soldiers were Main =• Body men, and therefore much more than•••'"• ordinary interest was evinced in their re-, turn. All the way along the line the rcsidents cheered and shouted their wekome to ■ the war-worn Anzacs, and at Ashburton the_ people boarded the train and distributed ' fruit. Fully two hours before the arrival of the h team (which, by the way, was considerably • ■ < delayed by a heavy north-west gale) at -' Dunedin people began to arrive at the Sta- ' " tion, and as the . train steamed in to the ' • platform an lninienso crowd had oongre- ■ gated. Inspiriting natisio by the Salvation Army, and St. E.ilda Brass Bands and the - deafening cheers of the thousands present ■' bespoke the heartiest of welcomes to the' men who had left New Zealand to face ° w OU i r - y^ l " 3 most terrible war in the > ' worid s history. Even the night seemed io bid welcome to the men, the sky being •" cloudless the moon practically at the - -'" full. A liberal _ supply of bunting adorned • •••; many of the principal buildings in the oity, " including the Town Hall,; and at the intersection of Stuart and ( Cumberland streets a : • novel arch was arranged by tie City Eire Brigade from too large Fire: Brigade ladders, from which were suspended a num- " ber of electric bulbs. After the preliminary cheering and hand-' shaking- were over, the men boarded the waiting motor cars (supplied by the Otago Motor Club) and left for. their destinations; ~ via Stuart _ street, accompanied by cheers . - ' f and expressions of welcome which must have ' ) conveyed to them that their great services abroad were' fully appreciated. Lieutenant-colonel Colquhoun' and Captarn W. Dobson represented the local Do- ' fence authorities,_ while Captain Allan came ' down from: Wellington in charge or tho re- ' turning draft. About 100 'of the men have '■ their homes in Dunedin, while another 102, who "were billeted in various hotels,'will '■ h proceed south by -the express this morning, ' v Messrs Ansell and Power represented ' the Otago Motor Club. Representatives of the Otago and South- " . : land Women's Patriotic Association -pre- ■ sented each returning man leaving - the station with a package containing a box of -'ij chocolates, _ a. number of cigarettes, and a card bearing • the following inscription:— v™ "The Otago and Southland Women's Patriotic. Association thanks you for what you have done, and heartily welcomes you home again." The Y.M.C.A. and kindred bodies also had representatives; at the station. THE SALVATION ARMY CAPTAIN'S MESSAGE. ; Captain M'Kenzie, : bv advertisement, iwel- "^ v comes the soldier boys home again to Dun- - edin City, and assures them that if he can 1 be of any service at all'to them they, have - ' 5 . 1 only got to make their wishes known. : The ' v,i captain has during the last four years, two -i of which spent in Invercargill, had a' good deal to do with returned soldiers and >•" their wives and ohildren, and he assures' -*x them that he is more anxious to-day to he of service to them than ever before.