OVER THERE

Camp News, Volume 1, Issue 48, 8 November 1940, Page 7

OVER THERE

BACK FROM EGYPT

Men Of Expeditionary Force

INVALIDED HOME

No Part In Any Active Campaigning

Invalided back from Egypt, a

party of 26 men of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force have returned to Wellington. None had seen any active campaigning,’ beyond a few bombs dropped by Italian air raiders. None of the men were wounded ; what brought them back were for the most part asthma, leg troubles, various minor complaints caused or aggravated by . the Egyptian climate, and other slight disabilities which rendered them unfit for further active service overseas. There was only one cot case.

Lean and- sunburnt to a mahogany brown, most of them looked so fit it was hard to believe they were invalids. They wore sun-helmets, which made them conspicuous as they moved about Wellington during the day. The party comprised Corporal L. Turner, Auckland; Lance Corporal R. H. Williams, Auckland; Gunner G. H. Hammond, Christchurch; Driver R. V. Denson,. Christchurch; Sappers T. Lynch, Auckland, and J. F. Rowlands. Auckland; Signaller K. von Lubbe. Auckland ; and Privates A. W. Alexander, Timaru, J. Barnes. Christchurch. S. W. Bennett, Christchurch ; P. Cowie, Cromwell, E. W. Dawson, Christchurch. G. C. Field, Christchurch, C. F. Fischer. Dannevirke, R. T. Gutsell, Dunedin, J. M. Hall, Christchurch, J. 11. Hawkins, New South Wales, J. Hunt,’ Christchurch, J. Lee, Westport, R. H. Martin. Greymouth, E. V. Morrish, Whangarei, A. Nielsen, Onehunga, T. J. E. Pitts.

Dunedin, W. J. L. Pleasants, Palmers ton . North, J. S. Yarnton, Auckland and C. G. Burn, Auckland.

Sapper B. Polkinghorne, Auckland, and R. C. Milligan, Otahuhu, missed the steamer at Sydney, and were left • there.

Private J. 11. Hawkins was taken to the Wellington Public Hospital with appendicitis on arrival at Wellington.

Leave to Visit Homes.

The rest of the party were met by an officer from Area Headquarters, and were taken to Buckle Street for medical inspection and further instructions. They received £2 each as an issue of pay before disembarking. They were later given leave to visit their homes, and those for Auckland and the South Island left Wellington last evening. Hawke’s Bay-and Taranaki men will leave this morning.

Three of the party, Privates Hunt, Pitts, and Martin, are Great War veterans, and are returned soldiers for the second. time. x They said they had seen little difference in army life in Egypt—the same heat, flies, and beggars demanding baksheesh. Private Pleasants, a former Wanganui Rugby football representative player, said he went into hospital the day after he arrived in Egypt, so that his sole experience of soldiering overseas was confined to bed. Others were not so unfortunate.

Saw No Action.

None of the men had seen any action, other than one or two air raids. One man said he had seen bombs burst on

a couple of sheds and an Army truck, another that bombs had burst near the hospital where he-was quartered. Several had been to frontier posts of the Western Desert. They spoke with enthusiasm of the conditions in the camp. They were well quartered and well fed, but found the heat trying. Just before they left temperatures soared . to 122 in the shade. General Freyberg was very popular with the men, they said. They saw a good deal of him. and would do anything for him. He was a great soldier. The men appeared in high spirits at being home. “No doubt about it, New Zealand’s the best place,” said one, and

others echoed his sentiment.