CHAPLAIN CRITICAL

Chronicle (Levin), 16 March 1946, Page 3

CHAPLAIN CRITICAL

WELCOME ARRANGEMENTS FOR KIWIS "On their arrival at Wellington last week, 2U00 Kivvis were (lisappoiuted and disgusted to iin.il tlie wharf utterly deserted exeept for a large 'Welcome llome' sigu that slood strangely alone on Ihe disuially enipty wharf," w rites (,'aptuin 11. P. Trehey, ehaplain to the 2nd N.Z.E.P., in a letter to thc editor of the Taranaki Daily News. Captain Trehey returned ro New Zealand witli. the Stirling Castle draft on February 27. * ' They didn 't want the ' blah-blah ' of l'arlianientarians and 'others who' had eonie aboard to tell us of the wouderful welcome that avvaited us," w rites Captain Trehey. "What the Kiwis did want was to see the wharf packed with the smiling faees of their t'riends and loved ones. And they had u righl to expeet just that.

Angtralian Welcomes. "They had seen a mere 100 Aussie airmeu reeeive a warm welcome as the sliip doeked at Fremantle. They were thnlied with AP'lbourne 's welcome to Ihe mere 100 Aussies who disembarked there. But wait till 2000 Kiwis hil good oid Wellington! Tlien they would see a real welcome — plenty of waving, plenty of laughing, plenty of eheering and plenty of music. That's what tlie Kiwis thought, and they 'd ' been thinking about it for a long time and counting Ihe days. "lmagine tlie let-down — a vast expanse of empty wharf with the 'Welout of Ihe emptiness, " Captain Trehey continues. "The seene was as anicome Home' sign grinuing cynieally mated as a morgue. A miiitary band suddeniy appeared from no where, played a couple of rousing 'dirges,' and as suddeniy disappeared — its task well and nobly done.

Crowds Out of Sight. "Where were the, welcoming crowds, likc tlioso at Fremantle and Melbourne ? We were told that they were roped up some drstan.ee away in one of the wharf sheds. They co'uldn't see v and we couldn't scc them. 'Isn't that just too lovely,' said The Kiwis. 'But,' we were told, 'if people- were allowed on the wharf, they might get in the way, and that would' never. do. ' To which the Kiwis replied: 'Why couldn't a section of the wharf be roped off, or why couldn't our folks have been allowed on the wharf wliile the ship tied up and then moved back into the sheds while the troops disembarked)' 'Yes, but that might have been a little difficult for the skore authorities. We hadn't thought of that.' And so, Captain Trehey adds. "in the chill silence, the Stirling Castle disgorged its ' conquering heroes\ "