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Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 285, 4 December 1940, Page 6

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SIXTY-FIVE MEN OF THE SECOND N.Z.E.F. SPENT SOME TIME IN BOMBAY [ Per Press Association. ] WELLINGTON, Dec. 3. ‘ Sixty-five members of the Second ■ N.Z.E.F., who have been invalided back from the Middle East, returned to the Dominion to-day after 11 months’ absence. They left Egypt • with the 28 soldiers who reached New Zealand a few weeks ago, but the ■ party was split up at Bombay and the '65 men who returned to-day spent two months in India, partly in a hospi1 tai at Poona and partly at a rest 1 camp. The men were medically examined this morning and will be recommended for discharge, a spell in hospital, or whatever treatment the medical authorities decide. Those who do not require immediate hospital treatment have been granted four weeks’ leave, and transport to their homes. Interviewed, most of the men expressed delight at being back in New Zealand, but every man spoken to said he had no regrets about entering the army, and several said they hoped they would be given a chance to return to a war station. Most of them saw something of the forward positions at Mersa Matruh. I “There is plenty of sand, heat and flies to make the conditions uncomfortable for us,” said one, “but our chief complaint is that the Italians did not have a go at us and give us something real to do.” These men’s experience of enemy action was confined to bombing raids on Alexandria and a raid made by Italian aircraft on shipping at Aden when the New Zealanders were on board the hospital ship which took them to India. “We were lying alongside a troopship,” said one man, “but the nearest bomb fell about a quarter of a mile away. The Italians are not game enough to fly sufficiently low to hit their targets, and none of the 50 to 60 ships in port was tyt. It is the same in the forward positions. Enemy planes fly so high that it is impossible to sight them with machine-guns.’’ The men spoke highly of their reception in Melbourne, where they spent five days en route to Sydney. From Australia to New Zealand the draft was in charge of Major W. R. Walsh, of Southern Command headquarters, Melbourne, and they were also accompanied • by an Australian Army doctor, Captain Colin Clark. An Australian sergeant and four orderlies were with the draft, two from India and two from Australia. The members of the draft are as follow: Driver W. G. Aughton, N.Z.A.S.C. (London); Private B. W. H. Borton, 20th Rifle Battalion (Christchurch); Sapper J. G. W. Barwick, New Zealand Engineers (England), Private B. C. Bradley, 18th Rifle Battalion (Auckland); Private D. S. Brocherie, 27tth Machine-gun Battalion (Canterbury); Private R. J. Carter, 27th Machine-gun Battalion (Wellington); Private M. C. Clarkson, 19th Wellington Battalion (Eketahuna); Private F. S. Dallinger, 19th Wellington Battalion (Auckland); Driver F. Davison, N.Z.A.S.C. (Auckland); Private W. Davis, 18th Kille Battalion (England); Driver D. E. Cossey, New Zealand Engineers <Auckland); Staff-Sergeant C. Dillon. 4th Infantry Brigade (Wellington); Private D. M. Dixon, 27th Machine-gun Battalion (Auckland); Trooper G. C. Dixon, Divisional Cavalry (Daigaville); Private N. C. Farr, N.Z.A.S.C. (New Plymouth); Corporal F. C. Greenlull, Divisional Cavalry (Hawera); Private V. E. Griffiths, 18th Rifle Battalion (Auckland); Private E. Griffith, 19th Wellington Battalion (England); Private I. M. Herbert, 19th Wellington Battalion (Dannevirke); Private J. Hines, 20th Rifle Battalion (Dunedin); Private W. T. Hoare, 19th Wellington Battalion (Christchurch); Private N. Hunt, 19th Wellington Battalion (Wanganui River); Private W. A. Johnstone, N.Z.A.S.C. (Bluff); LanceCorporal W. W. Kewish, N.Z.A.S.C. (Devonport); Private E J. Knight, 19th Wellington Battalion (Christchurch); Private F. T. La Hood, 19th Wellington Battalion iKaikoura); Captain T. O. Lambie, Base Pay Office (Wellington); Signalman R. S. Lawrence, Divisional Signals (Tokanui); Trooper H. G. Lilley, Divisional Cavalry (—); Private P. Mackie, 18th Rifle Battalion (Mosgiel); Sapper G. McKinley, Engineers (Auckland); Gunner R. D. Mercer, Artillery (Auckland) ; Corporal E. C. Miller, A.S.C. (Eastbourne); Gunner A. Mitchell, Artillery (Auckland); sergeant G. W. Morton, Artillery (—); Private P. C. Murphy, A.S.C. (Auckland); Private A. R. Nalder, A.S.C. (Murchison); Private W. F. O’Keefe, A.S.C. (Hastings) ; Lieut. H. Palmer, Artillery (—); Sapper J. Pollard, Engineers (Auckland); Private M. T. Prior, Headquarters, N.Z.E.F. Base (Invercargill); Private J. A. Pullen, A.S.C. (Dunedin); Gunner R. H. Putman, Artillery (Palmerston North); Private D. H. V. Parker, Divisional Signals (Dunedin); Private K. D. S. Porter, Artillery (Whangarei); Private A. R. Quarterman, 20th Rifle Battalion (Christchurch); Private W. Reardon, 18th Rifle Battalion (Te Awamutu); Private R. O. Rapson, 18ty Rifle Battalion (Silverdale); Sapper W. R. Reid, Engineers (Whangarei); Gunner C. G. Rollinson, Artillery (Morningside); Private S. A. Ruback, A.S.C. (Wellington); Sapper R, E. Shingleton, Engineers (Wellington); Private A. D. Sims, 27th Machine-gun Battalion (New Plymouth); Private G. J. W. Simon, 18th Rifle Battalion (Onehunga); Sapper R. F. Smith, Engineers (Wellington); Private J. Sullivan, A.S.C. (Christchurch); Sergt. R F. Thompson, Divisional Headquarters (Hawera); Private L. J. Thorp, 4th Field Ambulance (Auckland); Driver R. Todd, A.S.C. (Addington); Private R. H. J. Wheeler, 27th Machine-gun Battalion (Opawa); Driver R. A. Wilkinson, A.S.C. (Dunedin); Private T. S. Willis, Headquarters, N.Z.E.F. .Base (Napier); Private F. C. A. Wilscn, 27th Machine-gun Battalion (Manakau); Private A. N. Wilson. 4th Infantry Brigade Headquarters (Winton); Private L. G. Wfson, Reinforcements (—).