A YOUNG ADVENTURER

Otago Witness, Issue 3332, 23 January 1918, Page 9

A YOUNG ADVENTURER

NEW ZEALANDER'S UPS AND DOWNS. (From Odr Own Correspondent.) LONDON. November 27. Amongst the passengers who returned to New Zealand by the hospital ship Marama was Pensioner Henry Alfred Davey, formerly x of the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. His absence of three years from the dominion has been marked by rather extraordinary vicissitudes. Davey, whose parents live in Nelson, was in Wellington when the war broke out, and immediately offered himself for enlistment. He was refused on account of his age. Determined, however, to get to the front, he joined the Star of India as a troop steward" and, leaving New Zealand on October 16 1914, worked his passage to England, arriving in London on December 23. Without any delay he joined the 4th Hussars went through his military training with them, and served in the regiment for some time in the hope of getting to the front. When he found this hope not likely to bo fulfilled, as cavalry were so little required after the opening months of the wa", he transferred to the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers. Here he was mere fortunate, for his battalion, a few months later, left for the Mediterranean, and took part in the landing at Sirvla Bay in August. On the 21st of that month' they were in the attack on Chocolate Hill, which, unfortunately, did not carry its objective, and then the troops sat down for the long and dreary winter. The weathev became worse and worse, and on the 20th November Davey was paralysed by exposure and wet. While lying in hospital on the Peninsula he suffered further injury from concussion by a shell bursting close to him. He was then invalided to England, and sent to Netley Hospital, suffering from severe neuritis end hysterical paralysis. Some time later, somewhat improved in health, he was transferred to Ireland, and sent to a hospital at Tipperary. Here, unfortunately. he became subject to frequent fits, but after further treatment was pronounced well enough to rejoin his unit. He had hardly got back to the training camp when he had a relapse, and became paralysed in both arms and legs. In this condition he remained in hospital at Dublin for 12 months without improvement, and in August of this year was discharged from the army as incurable. Davey could then see nothing for it but io return to New Zealand, and it occurred to him to report himself at New Zealand Headquarters in London to inquire about a passage. - There he had an interview with Brigadier-general G. S. Richardson and Major A. Greene, the result of which was that he was sent to Brockenhurst Hospital, where a department had recently been opened, under Captain W. Marshall Macdonald. for treatment of nervous diseases resulting from the war. At the time of his admission Davey was in a deplorable condition, and unable to stand upright or still. Within a few weeks theis was a remarkable improvement, and he is now being discharged in a state of health which he had never expected to regain. It is hoped that thi voyage to New Zealand will practically complete his restoration.