Thank you for correcting the text in this article. Your corrections improve Papers Past searches for everyone. See the latest corrections.

This article contains searchable text which was automatically generated and may contain errors. Join the community and correct any errors you spot to help us improve Papers Past.

Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image
Article image

TRENTHAM CAMP

| THE ROYAL COMMISSION, I (Per United Press Association.) WELLINGTON, July 28. The Trentham inquiry was continued to-day. -Nurse Vera Keith, who was at Berhampore Hospital from May 19 to July 5, stated that Sister Jameson was in charge for the first two weeks. Then she herself took charge. Private Pollard was admitted on June 25, suffering from influenza rather badly. He had a temperature from the start and on June 29 it rose to 105. Pollard and Fordham both had temperature charts, the temperatures being taken every four hours. Major Elliott came in the evening and saw tlie patients. They could be well looked after at Berhamporo as there were only eight patients in the ward. They had only twenty patients altogether and three trained nurses and

three orderlies, so witness considered they were well able to deal with the cases there. When Pollard’s relatives came they mp.de no complaint but thanked the nurses. Witness remembered Pollard’s sister saying that his feet were cold. Sister Hennah, who was looking after the patient, had seen that he was kept as warm as possible but it was impossible to keep a man warm when he was dying, Fordham’s case was' much the same as Pollard’s except that his temperature did not rise to the same extent. When he became seriously ill witness telegraphed to his relatives. They came and expressed their gratitude for the treatment of the patient. Wrilliam Langton Newnham, assistant engineer of the Public Works Department, produced plans of the camp as it appeared at different periods. Arthur Edward Whyte, secretary of the W'eliington Racing Club, said that in October last the Club granted the Defence authorities sixty acres of land, another forty-four acres a quarter of a mile away for camping and manoeuvres, and the centre of the racecourse as a parade ground. On June 13 Dr Valintino brought patients to the trainers’ quarters as a storm was raging. The caretaker admitted them. Brigadier-General Robin, temporarily commanding the New Zealand Forces, and Quartermaster-General, gave the history of the camp in its early stages. His Honour: Were any special steps taken with regard to testing sanitation and so on? —Yes; the usual military precautions were taken as to testing the water supply and fixing the positions for tents, latrines, etc. This work was done by the Chief of the General Staff (Col. Gibbon) and the Quartermaster-General “2” (Major Robinson). "Witness took it that the sanitation qualities of the ground would be tested also in such investigations. The opinion of the Director of Medical Services would be taken. After the departure of Colonel Russell’s force (Main Expedition) the camp was laid out anew for the reinforcements. The reinforcements were accommodated in tents, which wore not floored. Wooden floors had not been considered a necessity in New Zealand previously but rather as a comfort than a necessity. If the ground was properly trenched it should have been perfectly suitable for all the soldiers. He believed in making the men accustomed to field conditions right away, but there was a happy medium.

General Robin outlined the method on which the duties and responsibilities of the Defence Department were allocated among the various officers. About the end of December witness made a minute with regard to the hutments. He was governed not so much by the thought of winter as by the fact that their store of tents was becoming depleted. Another reason was the expense of tentage through wear and tear.

Under further examination. General Robin stated that he heard through the camp authorities that there were complaints about the huts being draughty, but he saw more of the matter in the newspapers.

His Honour: Were any steps taken to remedy it?

General Robin: Yes; we closed up certain portions below the openings left by the corrugations of the iron. There was a proposal to put a board a little higher up inside to reduce the amount of the opening. I think it was carried out. “Was any plan evolved to do away with draught?”—Not for Trentham. “The only other alternative was to put the men back in tents was it not?”—Yes. “Did you get any report from the medical staff when these complaints came up?”—No. “Whose business was it to see to that?” —I don’t know that it particularly came under the medical officers except that they noticed that the men were suffering through it. General Robin added that this coldness was not confined to those in the huts. On one occasion he visited the camp, and noticing how cold it was ordered an extra blanket to be issued to ©very man. The question of whether the men were cold or not was not made the subject of any special inquiry as far as he was concerned. In answer to further questions General Robin said that he did not think the huts were too close together. There must be a space left for a drill ground. He thought the arrangements in this connection quite suitable to the climate and the position. His Honour: Is it the practice to change the site of a camp at intervals? General Robin: Oh, yes. “Was it don© at Trentham?”—No; it was not done because there would not have been the space to do it. There was one shift of a portion of the tents to some ground opposite them which had not formerly been occupied by tents. It was customary in camps to shift the tents as a whole from time to time.

His Honour: Do you think the Quartermaster had an adequate staff for the requirements of the camp?—No; he should have had more; we were all in the same position. "Did he have an adequate staff when the camp was at 3000?”—Yes. “But after the numbers increased the staff was not sufficient? Why was that not remedied?” —Because we had no qualified staff to put there. I don’t mean anything detrimental to those who were working; we were short of staff throughout Now Zealand.

Dr Martin: Don’t you think you could get wounded officers out from England to undertake tho training? General Robin; We asked there for officers and also asked India but they said they could not supply us. I-Us Honour asked the Commandant if ho had experienced any difficulty in tho way of effect being given to his recommendations to the Minister with regard to requirements. General Robin; No; except that I have had to explain the reasons some times. There has been no fflulculty; we have

sot what we wanted. General Robin added that the authorities had been blamed because nothing had been thought out about the measles epidemic. It was pretty hard for them to fight every visitation of trouble that came suddenly and unexpectedly because everything was not running in twenty-four hours. There had been much criticism put on to the arrangements without people knowing the difficulties that existed. His Honour; That was after the 2500 extra men were decided on some time in February? General Robin: Each month there have been units coming in which have been gradually growing. Then it is suggested there were too many for the camp out there? —There were too many for the plans wo have. The sanitary arrangements had to be enlarged, and so on?— Yes. There was undue pressure?— There was for a time undue pressure. More than you could accommodate? — Yes; but not more than wo were able to deal with —that is, to keep in comfort and feed them. Could the position havo been met by putting the men elsewhere?— The position would never have arisen if that wet weather had not come on and then this measles trouble. You think that without this wet weather you would have come through without any trouble? —I feel quite sure we could have. Notwithstanding the 7000 men there?— Yes.

Permanent link to this item

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ST19150729.2.42

Bibliographic details

Southland Times, Issue 17486, 29 July 1915, Page 6

Word Count
1,310

TRENTHAM CAMP Southland Times, Issue 17486, 29 July 1915, Page 6

TRENTHAM CAMP Southland Times, Issue 17486, 29 July 1915, Page 6

Help

Log in or create a Papers Past website account

Use your Papers Past website account to correct newspaper text.

By creating and using this account you agree to our terms of use.

Log in with RealMe®

If you’ve used a RealMe login somewhere else, you can use it here too. If you don’t already have a username and password, just click Log in and you can choose to create one.


Log in again to continue your work

Your session has expired.

Log in again with RealMe®


Alert