MALTESE HOSPITAL

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26077, 14 February 1946, Page 4

MALTESE HOSPITAL

A BED ENDOWED NEW ZEALAND’S GIFT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Feb. 13. The Cabinet has made a grant of £IOOO to endow a bed in the King George V Hospital for merchant seamen at Malta in memory of the courage of the people of Malta and the New Zealanders buried on the island. This announcement was made by the Acting Prime Minister. Mr W. Nash, at a reception given by the Government’ today in honour of Lieutenant-general Sir William Dobbie, G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D. 5.0., who was Governor and Com-mander-in-Chief at Malta during the siege, and Lady Dobbie. The history of the hospital, which was destroyed by bombs and is now being rebuilt, was given by General Dobbie, who, in his capacity as vice-president of the hospital trust, expressed high appreciation of the gift. Extending a welcome to Sir William and Lady Dobbie, Mr Nash referred to the profound respect everyone had for what they did at Malta. When in London in June, July, and August, 1942, he was invited to attend meetings of the British War Cabinet, and that at one of them Sir Dudley Pound had explained the arrangements for getting a convoy through to Malta. Mr Nash said he was proud that 7 of the 14 ships to be protected were New Zealand ships. On the evidence of Sir Dudley Pound, half of the ships could not get through, but if half did reach the island, then Malta was saved. Mr Nash said that a short time ago the Government heard that the Malta Hospital had been destroyed, and was asked if it would like to contribute to its rebuilding, in view of New Zealand's association with the island —an association which went back to the last war. Seventy-one New Zealand soldiers were buried on the island, and the Cabinet decided that it would endow a bed in the hospital tc be called the “New Zealand bed,’ and voted £IOOO for that purpose m the name of New Zealand, in memory of the courage of the people of Malta and of the New Zealanders whose bones lay on the island. Hospitality Appreciated Appreciation of the hospitality they had received since their arrival in New Zealand was expressed by Sir William on behalf of himself and his wife. He said the generous gift announced by Mr Nash would be greatly appreciated by the people of Malta. The hospital, which was known as the King George V Hospital for Merchant Seamen, was built as a memorial to the merchant seamen in the last war, and King George V was its original patron. The present King was now its patron. The hospital was built on a beautiful site for peacetime, but it was not so good in wartime, for it was right in the target area. All through the war with Italy it was constantly bombed. It was hit on one or two occasions, but still the work of ministering to the sick and injured went on, and for the 20 months while that hospital was in use, though in the forefront of battle, in all that time not one patient had had to wait five minutes for his meals. In April, 1942, the hospital was destroyed after having withstood all the vicissitudes of war up to that time. Fortunately, there was no loss of life, for the patients and hospital staff were in the shelters! It was originally built with money largely subscribed in Scotland, which was again footing the bill for the rebuilding of the hospital. The endowment subscribed by the people of New Zealand and similar endowments would enable the hospital to function so that patients could be treated with as little charge to themselves as possible. One could never estimate the great work of the merchant marine, and had it not been for that service the island could hot have held out. The hospital was now being rebuilt, and within two years it would again be functioning in the name of the Hospital Trust. He wished to thank the New Zealand Government and the people of the Dominion for their gift.