SOLDIERS RETURN TODAY

Southland Times, Issue 25705, 14 July 1943, Page 4

SOLDIERS RETURN TODAY

SOUTHLAND MEN THREE WINNERS OF MILITARY MEDAL PROMINENT~SPORTSMEN Men of all walks of life—artisans, commercial men, professional men, farmers and tradesmen—make up the party of 400 Southland Soldiers who will arrive by special train today on a well-earned rest from the battlefields of the Middle East. Their homecoming has thrilled all Southlanders. Yesterday it was the main topic of discussion everywhere—in the streets, in tramcars, in theatres and in every home. No other subject has created so much interest in many months. The appearance of the names of the returning men in The Southland Times yesterday was the signal for even greater interest, and throughout the day the office of The Southland Times was rushed by friends and relations of soldiers in other parts of New Zealand to see if their names were in the lists. Names of Southland soldiers not in the list published are printed this morning. Included in the Southland draft are officers and men of many ranks, two nursing sisters and three holders of the Military Medal. Major I. O. Manson and Major A. W. Cooper are the senior officers. The nurses are Sister Catherine Golden, of Fortrose, a daughter of Mr T. Golden, chairman of the Southland Hospital Board, and Sister Elizabeth Poole, of Invercargill. The three wearers of the Military Medal are Sergeant A. E. Branks (Invercargill), Private A. H. Waddick (Invercargill) and Sergeant A. Russell, of Bluff. AMBULANCE DRIVER Sergeant Branks was for many years a driver of the ambulance in Invercargill. He was also a prominent member of the St. John Ambulance Brigade. The citation which covered the award of the Military Medal to Sergeant Branks, stated that he was in charge of stretcher-bearers and took a truck up and down a battalion line of advance

in the face of heavy machine-gun and mortar fire on the night of July 21, 1942. He was largely responsible for the evacuation of 64 wounded men. His coolness, courage and tireless energy were an inspiring example to the remainder of the stretcher-bearers. Sergeant Branks was educated at the South School and the Southland Technical College. He left New Zealand with the 3rd Echelon and took part in the Greek campaign and the fighting in Libya, where he was slightly wounded. He was a prisoner-of-war in Benghazi and was released when the town was recaptured from the Axis forces. PRIVATE WADDICK

Private Waddick won his decoration for bravery under fire at Sidi Rezegh. While his reserve transport section was attached to a New Zealand Battalion he volunteered to go forward and bring

in the wounded. It was a hazardous task, but his gallant attempt was successful and he returned with a completely loaded vehicle of badly wounded infantrymen. He was under heavy shell fire throughout the operation.

Private Waddick is a membei' of the well-known Invercargill family of athletes whose performances in road racing have been outstanding. He attended the St. George and Marist Brothers schools in Invercargill and he played football for the Marist club. One brother, Theo Waddick, recently made’ a name for himself in the New Zealand Rugby team in the Middle East. Pi-ivate Waddick left New Zealand with the 2nd Echelon and was a member of the brigade commanded by Brigadier J. Hargest. Sergeant Russell was born at Ruapuke Island and received his education there, at the Bluff School and at Te Aute Boys’ College. Before enlisting and going overseas with the Maori Battalion he was employed as an oysterman. Sergeant Russell is a direct descendant of the Chief Tuhawaiki, of Ruapuke, better known in the early days as “Bloody Jack,” one of the few Maori chiefs who went to Sydney. While there Tuhawaiki purchased military gear and introduced the then modern methods of warfare, both on the island and the mainland. The chief was later drowned at the entrance to the Mataura river when his canoe capsized.

PRISONER ON CRETE One of the party, Driver J. G. Marshall, had some thrilling experiences on the island of Crete, where he was a prisoner for about six weeks. He escaped and hid in the hills for about four months before he eventually got back to Egypt. Driver Marshall was almost recaptured by the Germans on several occasions, but with the help of the islanders he managed to elude the enemy. He was one of many New Zealanders who experienced the fury of the German blitz at its worst.

Many well-known athletes, mostly footballers, are among the returning men.

Major Manson, who went overseas with the 2nd Echelon and gained promotion in the field, was one of Southland’s best-known athletes more than a decade ago. He gained his greatest successes as a hurdler. Five times he represented Southland and Otago at the New Zealand amateur athletic championships, and twice he was runner-up in the 440 yards hurdles. He held the Otago and Southland championship titles over all distances for several years, and he still holds the Southland record for the 120 yards hurdles. At football he played for the Invercargill club and in 1927 he played for Southland. He was a member of the Waihopai Tennis Club for 11 years before the outbreak of war. WELL-KNOWN FOOTBALLERS Among the more prominent Rugby footballers, past and present, there are Tom (“Stud”) Roberts, of the Pirates Club, who played for Southland from 1925 to 1928; Albert E. Cuff, Star and Southland front-row forward; Glenn Thomas, son of Cr W. J. Thomas and broflier of Gervyn Thomas (Southland captain in 1937), who was full-back for Pirates before going to Wellington and gaining a representative cap there; Don Hamilton and E. J. Calder, of Bluff; Gunner T. F. Frewen, who played for Rotorua and Auckland; R. N. Agnew (Eastern District), P. K. Barry (Western District and West Coast); J. S. Bell (Central District) and Lester Harper (Invercargill Club). Other sports are represented by Vernon L. McEwan, a prominent oarsman and one of seven brothers in the armed forces; Private William Roy (West Gore), a champion rifle shot and

clay bird shot; Bombardier H. W. Witsey (Riverton), who left Iris mark on the running tracks of Southland a few years ago and made a come-back in the Middle East last year; W. M. Carson, Appleby and Southland cricketer; C. B. Marchant (Appleby cricket); Sam Hallamore (Marist cricket), a brother of R. G. Hallamore (Southland and Mana-. watix) and a son of the late Mr R. G. Hallamore, a former Southland wicketkeeper; W. C. Ferguson (cricket and soccer); Private Gordon Todd; and Private Brian Springford. A BOXING CHAMPION Private Todd, unknown in the boxing ring before he left Invercargill, blossomed out as a champion in the art while in Egypt. He wbn his way to the top by winning the heavyweight division of‘the Army championships and then won fame by knocking out Cor-

poral J. Scally, champion of the fighting services and heavyweight champion of Scotland before the outbreak of war. On top of that he probably scored his greatest success in Army boxing when he knocked out Corporal R. J. Jenkinson, champion of an English armoured division, and sparring partner for Tommy Farr, then of world ranking. After that bout Private Todd was presented by a brigadier of the New Zealand forces with two cups, one for the honour of being the most scientific boxer at the championships. SOUTHLAND SWIMMER

Private Springford is a member of the Springford family of swimmers. He is the youngest of four brothers, all of whom held Southland championships or established records at some time or other. As a schoolboy he showed exceptional promise and in addition to winning six out of seven events at the primary school sports, he won all the Herbert Smith Trust events. He has not forgotten how to swim. Just before the Tunisian campaign he won a handicap event in the Middle East.

Musical members of the party are Private H. C. U. Strang and LanceCorporal L. W. Hinkley. Private Strang who is a talented violinist and a player of other orchestral instruments, is also a good singer and is a member of the Kiwi concert party, which has entertained troops in the Middle East war zone.

Lance-Corporal Hinkley was wellknown as a singer in Invercargill before his enlistment. He took part in many musical functions in the city. ADDITIONAL NAMES Following is a list of names of returning Southland men not previously published:— Cpl E. R. Cuddihym, Winton; Pte G. H. Esplin, Gore; Pte James Fitzgibbon, Arrowtown; Spr Charles Fraser, Leet Street; Pte W. A. Gunn, Gore; Dvr J. G. Jones, Gummies Bush; Sgt W. H. Jones, Mokoreta; Pte A. E. Kelland, South Riverton; Cpl I. H. Kelly, Kapuka; Pte J. R. Kelly, Clinton; Pte J. McHugh, Winton; Dvr R. W. Milne, Wyndham; Sgt G. A. Murphy, Arrowtown; Pte R. G. Nelson, Queenstown; L/Cpl D. E. Peat, Gore; Sgt J. R. Parr, Waianiwa; L/Cpl W. H. Roberts, Riverton; Sgrnn L. G. Silvester, Kapuka; Pte J. L. Shaw, Orepuki; Pte R. Woodrow, Gore. ROUSING WELCOME AT CHRISTCHURCH Soldiers Meet Relations (P.A.) CHRISTCHURCH, July 13. Cheer upon cheer from the crowded troop train and answering cheers from those waiting at the railway station marked the return to the city this morning of veterans of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Middle East. The weather was unpleasant, but the reception given to the men was in no way affected, and there were many touching scenes as men were reunited with their relations and friends after absences -of up to three years and a-half. Ceremony of all kind was taboo, and as soon as the special train pulled in to the platform just after 8 o’clock the men were allowed to leave the station immediately and go to their homes.

Breakfast was provided on the station for men whose homes are in other parts of the province, and these troops continued their journey later in the morning. For a long time family groups remained standing in the rain, ignoring the weather in their happiness of the moment. In several instances delighted fathers were to be seen having their first words with children born after their departure for the Middle East. EXCITEMENT AT AUCKLAND (P.A.) AUCKLAND, July 13. Two special trains with Auckland members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. furlough draft reached the city late this afternoon and this evening. Earlier a trainload for North Auckland passed through. A crowd besieged the station and there were scenes of wild excitement and moving family reunions. There was no official reception, the occasion being made purely a personal family one. The men were quickly motored to their homes. TOBACCO PRIVILEGE (P.A.) WELLINGTON, July 13. The Canteen Board has announced that members of the 2nd N.ZJS.F. at present on furlough will have the facility of procuring for their personal consumption smokers’ requisites in military establishments throughout New Zealand and from canteen stores in Auckland, Palmerston Noi-th, Wellington, Blenheim, Christchurch and Dunedin.

W.E.A.' LECTURE.—The series of lectures entitled “Around the Pacific” was continued last night by Mr J. A. Brailsford, 8.A., at a meeting of the Workers’ Educational Association. Mr Brailsford spoke on the difference between eastern and western marriage customs.