RETURN OF 240 SOLDIERS

Southland Times, Issue 24422, 30 April 1941, Page 6

RETURN OF 240 SOLDIERS

MAJORITY SUFFERING FROM SICKNESS

SOME SOUTHLAND MEN INCLUDED (P.A.) ’ WELLINGTON, April 29. A total of 240 members of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force landed from the hospital ship Somersetshire todav, 84 being members of the 2nd Echelon from Britain and the rest from the Middle East. The majority of the latter were picked up at Suez, but some were taken on at Sydney from another ship. The men are from all parts of New Zealand. The Somersetshire, which is a former Bibby line troopship, is under Lieuten-ant-Colonel J. W. Hirst, who has with him a number of members of the Royal Army Medical Corps, Matron E. Townsend and 13 nursing sisters, all of the Royal Army Medical Corps A few ot the returning soldiers were wounded in bombing raids. One is a shell-shock case, but the majority _ are sickness cases. Several were injured in accidents, mainly through motor-cycling. The men returning from England said they received a thorough training at Aidershot before going to the Channel coast to meet the German invasion. London had been out of bounds to them, but several had paid unofficial visits. One man said that while the damage to London was great, it was not as extensive as most people thought. The bombing was largely confined to the East End. Another who visited London commented that some of the destruction would do good, because it had I’emoved buildings that .should have been replaced before. When asked for his impressions of the stand Britain was making, another soldier declared the British could never be beaten. If anything could have beaten them, last September’s blitz would have done so. It had only made them more determined than ever. This man said the German planes came over in hundreds. He saw a squadron of bombers attacked and in two minutes all were down. One fell from almost above them and when it was near the ground it flattened out and . shot straight at them. “We scattered in all directions,” he said, “but it hit the ground half a mile away.” The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. P. Fraser, and the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, visited the ship and welcomed the men. NAMES OF MEN The following is a list of the members of the N.Z.E.F. invalided home (where not otherwise indicated the rank is private):— Major J. G. C. Leach (Wanganui), Captain C. F. Thomas (Whakatane), Lieutenant A. H. L. Barsdell (Gore), Lieutenant M. V. Wilson (Whangarei), Lieutenant W. H. Carter, Lieutenant J. K. F. Watson (Auckland), Second Lieutenant J. H. Corlett (Hamilton), Second Lieutenant H. L. Thomson (Auckland), Sister H. M. Scott (Havelock North), Staff Nurse V. Cartwright (Napier). Sergeant F. Adamson (Wellington), B. Aiding (Oamaru), Lance-Corporal R. J. Alexander (Wellington), Sapper J. Anderson (Wellington), Sapper - F. E. Anderson (Wellington), Gunner D. M. Andrews (Palmerston North), H. R. Armstrong (Dunedin), C. A. Arthur (Invercargill), J. E. Ash (Wairoa). Driver L. M. Barr (Auckland), H. E. Bassenden (Wellington), W. A. Beach (Napier), J. E. Beacham (Onehunga), I. J. Bell (Auckland), Lance-Corporal P. A. Bellve (Auckland), Signalman W. Bennett (Kaitangata), Sapper T. G. Biddulph (Inangahua Junction), C. V. Blomfield (Waitoa-Thames lines), C. T. Blucher (Waihopo), R. K. Bones (Hamilton), Gunner F. H. S. Booth (Wellington), Signalman F. H. K. Braddock (Nelson), S. J. L. Bramble (Paeroa), Gunner J. Brennan (Timaru), C. S. Brown (Terapa), R. F. Buckingham (Auckland), C. E. Burke (Tauranga), J. G. Buxton (Timaru). T. F. S. Callen (Wellington), Corporal J. H. Campbell (Hornby), Sapper J. H. Campbell (Napier), C. Capon (Auckland), Corporal R. N. Carpenter (Auckland), Sapper J. J. Channing (Ngaruawahia), R. C. Clouston (Wellington), D. McK. Coombridge (Otorohanga), Sapper W. D. Coote (Christchurch), Sapper M. J. Corkery (Hastings), C. J. Cottier (New Plymouth), Corporal R. T. Craig (Taupiri)/. R. N. Crampton (Wellington), Sergeant C. N. Crawford (Dunedin), Regimental Ser-geant-Major F. Crompton (Nelson), Driver J. R. Cross (Auckland), LanceCorporal D. J. Curtis (Christchurch). G. M. Dale (Onehunga), T. E. Davies (Paekakariki), Company SergeantMajor A. G. M. Dent (Waipawa), Lance-Corporal G. Diamond (Christchurch), Lance-Corporal J. M. Dive (Wellington). Lance-Sergeant J. Dobson (New Plymouth), Driver D. P. Donald (Maitland), Lance-Corporal A. F. Dougherty (Dunedin). Signalman T. D. Evans (Wellington).

Gunner - E. Faithful (Ravensbourne), Driver T. Fitzsimmons (Christchurch), Sapper R. J. Foreman (Napier), Corporal J. P. Foster (Wellington). A. J. H. Fowler (Marton). S. R. Frewin (Wellington), Driver T. P. Frost (Hamilton). R. J. Gardiner (Frankton Junction), Trooper F. W. Garrett (Kaikoura), Lance-Sergeant D. Glover (Nelson), Gunner J. H. Goldsworthy (Wellington), Sapper J. M. Gough (Kamo), Sapper J. J. L. Gould (Auckland), T. F. Gregg (Stratford), Driver L. L. Gross (Onehunga). E. P. Hallmond (Dargaville). H. R. Hammond (Auckland), G. H. Hannah (Auckland), Sapner A. H. Harper (Dunedin), G. R. Hart (Dunedin), Cornoral R. M. Hay (Otahuhu), Sergeant W. D. Haydon (Wellington), Sergeant R. G. Hayward (Wellington), LanceSergeant R. N. Heffer (Gisborne), W. M. Henderson (Mangapehi), R. F. Hewat (Wellington), Gunner E. J. Hodson (Nelson). J. D. Hoggard (Wellington). P. A. E. Holdaway (Dunedin), H. E. Holtham (Hunterville), Quarter-master-Sergeant C. K. C. Hopkins (Hastings), F. S. Hubbard (Napier), J. Hudson (Auckland), J. D. Hussey (Mosgiel), Driver E. I. Huston (Christchurch) . R. Irving (Wanganui). Corporal R. C. Jackson (Christchurch), A. J: James (Christchurch), P. G. James (Patea), Sapper E. Johnson (Otahuhu), Driver F. Johnson (Wanganui), C. H. Johnson (Wanganui), G. T. Jones (Gisborne), P. M. Joss (Dunedin). S. J. Kendrick (New Plymouth), Driver J. M. Kennedy (Wellington), Bombardier I. W. Kirkness (Invercargill).

Driver R. Larkin (Te Kopouru), E. Leigh, Lance-Corporal V. A. Lester (Timaru), Lance-Corporal H. A. Lewis (Whangarei), Gunner J. N. Little (Wellington), L. A. Linklater (Kaiapoi), Gunner H. E. Lloyd (Onehunga), R. G. Loveridge (New Plymouth), B. Luckock (Wellington). T. McConnell (New Plymouth), C. F. Macdonald (Christchurch), Sergeant G. McDougall. C. McDowell, G. D. McFadgen (Wellington), Corporal R. G. MacGregor (Christchurch), Gunner E. W, L. MacGregor (Waipawa), LanceCorporal L. R. Mackay (Ohai), W. R. Mackay (Onunake). D. L. Macleod (Hawera). K. A. Mclntosh (Ruatapu). T. J. Major (Wellington), Driver F. J. Marsh (Christchurch), W. F. Martin (Auckland), Gunner F. Martin (Masterton), Driver H. W. Martin (Christchurch), W, G. Matthews (Christ-

church), Sergeant W. Maxwell (Ruatoria), Sergeant H. Metcalfe (Orakei), D. H. Millar (Wellington), A. J. D. Mitchell (Hamilton), R. M. Moir (Flaxton), Lance-Sergeant G. K. Maloney (Hawera), Driver J. C. Mooney (Alexandra), W. J. Moore (Christchurch), Lance-Corporal P. J. Morris (Otane), Corporal J. L. Morris (Wellington), S. Morrison (Wellington), Gunner J. Murphy (Te Puke). Sergeant E. J. Nation (Wellington), Lance-Corporal H. E. Norman (Tuatapere). B. P. Oakes (Hawera), J. G. Olsen (Hastings). J. E. Penrose (Christchurch), Corporal P. T. N. Pitama (Tuahiwi), Sergeant J. S. Porteous (Wanganui), M. E. Prendergast (Ikamatua). Sapper F. A. Ramsay (Ashburton), Lance-Corporal J. P. J. Regan (Christchurch), G. H. Reeve (Dunedin), Lance-Corporal K. W. Rewha-Rewha (Torere), Gunner C. S. Riley (Christchurch), Sapper A. S. Ritchie (Takaka), F. Robertson (Auckland), L. L. Roebuck (Dunedin), Sapper H. J. Rodgers (Wellington), J. N. Roiall (Auckland), Driver W. G. Rowlands (Christchurch), Gunnel - W. R. Russell (Christchurch), Gunner W. H. Roxburgh (Howick), P. R. Ryan (Ngakawau), C. H. P. Ryan (Wairoa), Gunner H. W. Ryder (Auckland). Gunner D. N. Shutte (Christchurch), F. N. G. Sibley (Christchurch), D. C. Slocombe (Southland), G. A. Smith (Auckland), G. G. T. Smith (Ashburton), J. A. Smith (Southland), Signalman A. J. Snelgrove (Wellington), J. H. Standen (Auckland), C. L. Sutton (Christchurch). P. Tahatu (Hastings), Gunner A. D. Taylor (Otorohanga), Sapper M. R. Taylor (Wellington), Gunner P. Taylor (Bluff), R. •A. Te Whero (Hastings), A. R. Thomas (Whangarei), W. J. Thomas (Christchurch). Sapper H. Thorp (Opunake), J. C. Timmins (Auckland), Gunner R. B. Tollemache (Te Awamutu), Gunner W. G. Tooman (Auckland), H. L. Townsend (Wellington). E. H. Trask (Te Aroha). Sapper C. S. Trichon (Auckland), Sapper O. D. Wallesey (Christchurch). A. C. Wastney (Nelson), Lance-Cor-poral F. J. Wardrope (Auckland). R. J. Welnoski (Wellington), E. J. Whitson (Auckland), Bombardier E. S. Wiig /Napier). Bombardier J. Wilkins (Blenheim), Corporal W. E. Wilson (Dargaville). N. F. S. Wood (Taranaki). T. W. S. Loach, A. McLauchlin, J. C. R. Smith (Tapanui), Sergeant C. K. Rosser, C. J. McFarran (Christchurch), W. A. Robinson, Sergeant-Major Hardley, Nurse E. J. Jarman (Auckland), Driver A.' F. Gogle (Auckland), S. Lawson (Dunedin). (In a number of instances there is no indication of the home address) '