FROM THE FRONT.

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16165, 20 March 1918, Page 10

FROM THE FRONT.

TRANSPORT ARHIVIVS AVITH OVER 700 MEN. EAUETCADE nUSjIL-TD AT FORT. A large crotvrl of cxpwtant kinsfolk of the Canterbury and Otayo quotas ot tiio wounded and invalided f-oldiers recently returned to tliu "Dominion, assembled yesterday morning at the approach to No. wharf, l.yttelton. Manj of these people, in their anxiety to he in time to meet the "boys'' at the ■waterfront, bookc-d 4eds in the hotels and boarding-houses in the Port several days ago, the unusually large number of visitors severely taxing the available accommodation, -vt 9.30 a.m. the transport, with over 700 soldiers aboard, hove in sight outside the moles, but, owing to the stormy weather and exceptionally heavy soa running, the vessel was not berthed until nearly an hour later. Meanv.hih- a detachment of military guards held back the impatient crowd from the wharf, across which, was a rope barricade, the Defence authorities thinking it inadvisable to allow the public to hamper the disembarkation of the troops. among the crowd who saw nothing but red-tape in the military arjangements, gave vent to their feelings t>v bitterlv complaining about the infptitndo of the Detenee Departmen .. The Mayor of J.vttelton Olr \\ • '• jycster) had therefore many sympathetic hearers when he climbed on a truck Lcforo tho barricade, and addressed the gathering. He said that no one was more disappointed than he was y l ' the military authorities had seen ht t° prect barricades in order to prevent the soldiers and their relatives from meetin"- without unnecessary delay Jt v;n iusult, both to them and to the bovs. Lyttelton had always been free, and as it was entirely in their own hands to make themselves free, he Jioped thev would do so. Mi" Lester then called" for cheers for the returning iokliers. A hearty response was given, oilowed by three cheers for the speakei. The ropo was subsequently out, and ;ho crowd forced its way past the military guards and rushed to the vessel s side. Great difficulty was experienced •in making the transport fast, and some of tho more venturesome spirits among the soldiers clam"l>ered down a rope at . the ship's side. One more daring than ■tho others climbed a rope ladder while tho vessel was heaving on a heavy swell, and, missing his footing, Jell into tho water, where it was seen that no was in imminent, danger of being crushed between the vessel and a pile, to which ho was clinging. Among those • who witnessed tho accident was bernoant Harold Rhiud, JXC.M.. of telton, who promptly stripped oft his coat and leggings, and el imbed down a rope attached to the vessel s bulwarks Ho tho water, succeeding m i supporting the man until ho was able to obtain a firm hold on tho rope ladder, which was swinging in the water. Tho gangway was lowered, ancl the soldiers streamed down to the wharf, ' and thenco to a special train waiting -to oonvev them to' thoir homes, in company with their friends and rela- ' -fives The men looked particularly I U and well, only a few very serious cases being noticeable among them. The Lyttelton Red Cross Society placed ; 2001b of cake on the tram for the soldiers proceeding south, Jind a long special train, comprising eighteen ears, left the port shortly beforo midday, followed after an interval by a second train..

A JOYOUS SCENE. ' There were many joyous meetings on the station at Christchurch. wlien the special train conveying the soldiers finally arrived at 12.15. Some of the men arrived by an earlier train, but these hfld left Jjyttelton without permission, so anxious were they to readj Christchurch. The platform was densely packed with eager relatives .and friends waiting to welcome the men, who were heartily choered as the train pulled in, while" outside the station there waited a still larger crowd, and the streets" from the station were literally lined with welcoming faces. The men were very quickly sought out and claimed by their friends, and it was not long before the automobiles to the number of a hundred, provided by the Automobile Association and iiotor Reserve Corps were busily conveying parties from tne station to their homes.

Tho contingent consisted of 215 men for Christchurch and North Canterbury, 167 for South Canterbury, and 350 for Otago, while there were 60 AVest Coasters, who will be lodged in the city until Thursday, -when they will proceed to their homes. The southern men went straight on yesterday. In order to provide for their material wants on the journey, a dining car was attached to the train, with a.catering staff,- Mr J. C. Kroon, contractor to the Defence Department, being in charge. In addition tho Red Cros3 Society placed 2001b of cake aboard tho train.

STATEMENT BY COLONEL . CHAFFEY. Referring to the, scene at Lyttelton, Colonel R. A. Chaffey, O.C. the Canter-, bury Military District, remarked to a "Press" representative last evening that he was most annoyed and disappointed that such a thing should have happened. He pointed out that he had made a particular request that relatives of the returning men should not proceed further than tLe Christchurch station. As there were so many men returning, it had been quite evident that were all relatives to proceed to Lyttelton, tho resultant congestion would have been very considerable. Precautions had been taken to have the wharf barricaded, and a guard of eight men placed there, but these measures evidently proved of little use. "When Colonel Chaffey arrived in Lyttelton he found large crowds swarming the'wharf, and much to his surprise he discovered that t£e invasion -of tho wharf had been led by no less a person than the Mayor of Lyttelton, Mr W. T. Lester, a matter on which the Colonel expressed his opinion very strongly. As Colonel Chaffey pointed out, surely, after so many months of separation from their boys," an extra half-hour or so while necessary military regulations were being observed should have made not a very great deal of difference to parents. Further, the Colonel remarked, there were scores and scores of parents in the South waiting for the arrival of their sons, and every little delay at>Lyttelton meant a corresponding delay in the reunions of sons; and parents in the South. As it was, the special train from Lyttelton was considerably delayed. At the Christchurch station it disgorged its local quota into the bosoms of their expectant families, and then proceeded south, relatives of the southern men who had come north being.permitted to travel in the special train. ' Owing to the dislocation at Lyttelton, however, the special train had "to leave' after the .southern express, and not before/ as Had been intended. , .Colonel Chaffey incidentally expressed his appreciation of the manner in which the men were met at the Christchurch railway station. There were, he stated ■ over 90 motor-cars to convey the men ' £ ma i°rity coming from the Canterbury Automobile Association and the Motor Reserve.