THE WILLOCHRA.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3566, 28 September 1916, Page 5

THE WILLOCHRA.

ARRIVAL AT PORT CHALMERS (r ' . ;

MANY';MEN PERMANENTLY

UNFIT,

A NURSE'S UNIQUE EXPERI-

ENCES

(Per Press Association).

DUNEDIN, Sept. 28. The Willochra reached Port Chalmers at 7 a.m. with wounded and invalided soldiers. " An. outstanding feature of the vessel's complement is the large proportion of men permanently unfit. A good many spent.a long time- in British hospitals recovering from bad wounds received a your ago at Gallipoli. About 30 are permanently maimed, and most of these have artificial limbs of the very latest type. There is only one cot case—Sapper A. C. Steclc (Auckland), who is ill with pneumonia } There are two holders of the D.L..AI. i on board—Corporal Norman Clarke, ot YLyttelton, and Private Crawford Wat- ' eon. of Waikato. » . Included among the nurses is bister <J. M. Lewis, who had remarkable experiences in Belgium and Serbia, and -was wounded while doing duty m the trenches. She was' decorated personally by King Peter for rescuo work. •'' The men arc- under the charge ot Lieutenant-Colonel G F. Hutton, with Major G. E. Andrew, N.Z.S.C, as second in command. ■ Some of tho men have been on both fronts They state that the conditions with regard to food and billeting are luxurious in France co,mnared with Gallipoli, but there is im comparison, between the German and Turkish bombardments • „ Tt is hoped to get the northern men away at mid-day. .