BACK FROM MIDDLE EAST

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 53, 13 December 1940, Page 5

BACK FROM MIDDLE EAST

Invalided New Zealanders

DRAFT OF SIXTY-FIVE MEN

After travelling from Bombay to Melbourne in a British passenger liner now used as a troopship, 65 members of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. who have been invalided back from 4-he Middle East arrived at Wellington. They left Egypt with the 28 soldiers who reached New Zealand a few weeks ago, but the party was split up in Bombay, and the 65 men who have now returned spent two months in India, partly in hospital at Poona and partly in a rest camp.

The men have been invalided back for various medical reasons — bad hearts, foot trouble, and so on—and most of them are- still a long way from fit. They were medically examined yesterday and will be recommended for discharge, a spell in hospital, or whatever treatment the medical authorities consider each case demands. Those who do not require immediate hospital treatment have been granted four weeks’ leave and transport to their homes.

Every man spoken to said he had no regrets about entering the Army. Several looked on their breakdown in health as bad luck, and said they hoped tc be given a chance to return to the war station with their mates. A large number of the men have had long terms in hospital, but most of them saw something of the depositions at Mersa Matruh. "There were plenty of sand, heat and flies, to make 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 was 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 though there were between 50 and 60 vessels in the port at the time not one- was hit. It was the same in the forward positions. The enemy planes were so high that it was impossible to sight them with machine-guns.”

From Australia to New Zealand the draft was in the charge of Major W. R. Walsh, Southern Command Headquarters, Melbourne, and they wore also accompanied by an Australian Army doctor, Captain Colin Clark, A.A.M.C. An Australian sergeant and four orderlies were-with the draft —two from India and two from Australia. Members of the Draft. The names of those in the draft are as follows, the addresses of the next-of-

kin being shown, in each case:— Driver W. G. Aughtoh, N.Z.A.S.C.

(London) ; Pte. B. W. H. Borton, 20th Rifle Battalion (Christchurch) : Sapper J. G. W. Barwick, N.Z. Engineers (England) ; Pte. B. C. Bradley, 18th Rifle Battalion (Auckland), Pte. D. S. Brocherie, 27th M.G. Battalion (Canterbury) ; Pte. R. J. Carter, 27th M.G. Battalion (Wellington) ; Pte. M. C. Clarkson, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (Eketahuna) ; Pte. F. S. Dallinger, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (Auckland): Driver F. Davison, N.Z.A.S.C. (Auckland) ; Pte. W. Davis. 18th Rifle Battalion (England); Driver De Cossey, N.Z. Engineers (Auckland) ; Staff Sergeant C. Dillon. 11. Q., 4th Infantry Brigade (Wellington); Pte. D. M. Dixon. 27th M.G. Battalion (Auckland) ; Trooper G. C. Dixon. Div. Cavalry (Dargaville) ; , Pte. N. C. Farr, N.Z. A.S.C. (New Plymouth) ; Cpl. F. C. Greenhill, Div. Cavalry (Hawera) ; Pte. V. E. Griffiths, 18th Rifle Battalion (Auckland) ; Pte. C. Griffith, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (England) ; Pte. I. M. Herbert, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (Dannevirke) ; Pte. J. Hines, 20th Rifle Battalion (Dunedin) ; Pte.

W. T. Hoare, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (Christchurch) ; Pte. N. Hunt, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (Wanganui River) ; Pte. W. A. Johnstone, N.Z.A.S.C. (Bluff); Lance-Cpl. W. W. Kevvish, N.Z.A.S.C. (Devonport) ; Pte. E. J. Knight, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (Christchurch) ; Pte. F. T. La Hood, 19th (Wellington) Battalion (Kaikoura) ; Capt. T. O. Lambie, Base Pay Office (Wellington) ; Signalman R. S. Lawrence, Div. Sigs. (Tokanui) : Trooper H. G. Lilley, Div. Cavalry ( ) ; Pte. P. Mackie, 18th Rille Battalion (Mosgiel) ; Sapper G. McKinley, Engineers (Auckland) ; Gunner R. D. Mercer, Artillery (Auckland); Cpl. E. C. Miller, A.S.C. (Eastbourne) ; Gunner A. Mitchell, Artillery (Auckland) ; Sgt. G. W. Morton, Artillery ( ) ; Pte. P. C. Murphy, A.S.C. (Auckland); Pte. A. R. Nalder, A.S.C. (Murchison) ; Pte. W. F. O’Keefe, A.S.C. (Hastings) ; Lieut. H. Palmer. Artillery ( ) ; Sapper J. Pollard, Engineers (Auckland) ; Pte. M. T. Prior, H.Q., N.Z.E.F. Base (Invercargill); Pte. J. A. Pullin, A.S.C. (Dunedin); Gunner R. H. Putman, Artillery (Palmerston North) ; Pte. D. H. V. Parker, Div. Sigs. (Dunedin) ; Pte. K. D., S. Porter, Artillery (Whangarei) ; Pte. A. R. Quarterman, 20th Rifle Battalion (Christchurch) ; Pte. W. Reardon, 18th Rifle Battalion (To Awamutu) ; Pte. R. O. Rapson, 18th Rifle Battalion (Silverdale) ; Sapper W. R. Reid, Engineers (Whangarei) ; Gunner C. G. Rollinson, Artillery (Morningside) ; Pte. S. A. Ruback, A.S.C. i Wellington . Sapper R. E. Shingleton. Engineers (Wellington) ; Pte. A. C. Sims, 27th M.G. Battalion (New Plymouth) : Pte. G. J. W. Simon, 18th Rifle Battalion (Onehunga) ; Sapper R. F. Smith, Engineers (Wellington).; Pte. J. Sullivan, A.S.C. (Christchurch) ; Sgt. R. F. Thompson, Div. IT.Q. (Hawera) ; Pte. L. J. Thorp, 4th Field Ambulance (Auckland): Driver R. Todd, A.S.C. (Addington); Pte. R. 11. J. Wheeler, 27th M.G. Battalion (Opawa) ; Driver R. A. Wilkinson, A.S.C. (Dunedin).; Pte. T. S. Willis, H.Q . N.Z.E.F. Base (Napier) ; Pte. F. C. A Wilson, 27th M.G. Battalion (Mannkau) ; Pte. A. N. Wilson, 4th Infantry Brigade H.Q. • Winton) ; Pte. L. G. Wilson, reinforcements ( -).