SERVICE AND REHABILITATION

Waikato Times, Volume 195, Issue 22458, 20 September 1944, Page 4

SERVICE AND REHABILITATION

New Zealand is proud to extend a welcome home to another large party of servicemen from the Middle East who have been on foreign service for four years and more. They have taken part in a cavalcade of events varying from tragedy to triumph and have earned a rest at last. No military unit in all the forces of the United Nations has a finer record than that division which fought and bled in Egypt, Cyrenaica, Greece, Crete, Tripoli, Tunisia, Sicily and Italy. After the two first dread years of the war they pursued the Germans for thousands of miles and assisted in driving them back to the gates of the Reich. They fought in climates varying from-burning tropical heat to ice and snow. They proved themselves the equal of the world’s finest fighting men. Those who have come back deserve the best that can be done for them, and those who remain to carry on the fight should have the continued support of everyone on the home front.

These are the men whom Hitler on a memorable occasion sought to discourage by telling them they were “simple country lads” unsuited for the dangers and hardships of war. He advised them not to be so foolish as to attempt to pit themselves against the invincible Germans. As they return, Hitler’s men are retreating on every front, beaten and discredited, while the “simple country lads” come home covered with glory. This was only one instance where Hitler failed completely to understand the world which he set out to conquer. It is an object lesson for all dictators; a warning that they should think twice before venturing upon aggression against people whom they do not know. But at the moment some hundreds of these long-service men are home. Some of them may not be fit for further military service. To these, rehabilitation into civilian occupations after their period of leave is of immediate concern, and it is the duty and the privilege of the Government and people of New Zealand to ensure that the welcome home befits the occasion.