GALLIPOLI—AND AFTER

Stratford Evening Post, Volume I, Issue 82, 16 March 1931, Page 4

GALLIPOLI —AND AFTER

DISTINGUISHED SOLDIERS' REUNION A distinguished company of ex# soldiers was present by invitation, of Captain R. Wood, licensee of the Stratford Hotel, on Saturday night to welcome Colonel E. Harston.of the secretariat staff of the League of Nations, who is at present on holiday in New Zealand after an absence of nearly nine years. * The company was comprised •of members of the Wellington Regiment. Colonel Harston was their adjutant on Gallipoli, and the pleasure of meeting him again and recalling some of the experiences of those tragic days was unalloyed. After Gallipoli. Adjutant H. Harston wentintO hospital on account of ill-health, and was sent back to New. Zealand. He recovered, and was appointed to; Geneva. For five years he was confined to bed owing to T.B. trouble, but he made a good recovery and iai at present enjoying normal healthColonel F. R. Turnbull, with MaJo4 R. Cade and Captain D. Curham* motored from Wanganui to be present; Colonel C. H. Weston, Colonel G. F. Bertrand and Captain G. EL Jago came from New Plymouth;! Major Urquhart from Toko; and Colonel L. Jardine, Captain R.Wood aud Lieutenant S. Macalister, of Stratford, were also present. After dinner, which was served ini the Stratford Hotel’s best style, thb company spent the evening together as old soldiers would do, exchanging •reminiscences of the war days and recounting what life had meant to them since in their several ways. As a reunion of men who had sailed to# getlier from Wellington in the Maib. Body, they had much to tell each other, but the time passed all 1 too f quickly. Yesterday, the company mo# tored to the Mountain and spent an# other enjoyable time. Colonel Harstou, who was a barns# ter and solicitor in Napier before thfli War, sails next mouth on his return to Geneva.