HOME FROM THE WAR

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2722, 17 March 1916, Page 6

HOME FROM THE WAR

BATTLE-SCARRED HEROES IN WELLINGTON

LANDING AND WELCOME

ECHOES OF THE FIGHTING

In the golden glow of a beautiful autumn morning the Arawa arrived from England at 9 a.m. yesterday, and was berthed at the King's Wharf. Besides her ordinary complement of passengers she brought out 129 soldiers, who had been returned to New Zealand after undergoing medical treatment in ,the military hospitals of England, and naturally interest as far as the public was concorned was centred in these men, most of whom had suffered more or less severely in tho Gallipoli campaign o? last year. There was a fairsized crowd on the foot of the wharf, and a group of relatives opposite tho berth to greet the homo-comers, who formed a khaki embroidery to the bulwarks as the big liner nosed her way into the wharf. After the usual formalities, tlio men were allowed the liberty of the wharf and outer shed, where the Medical Board were quickly at wor,k dealing with the men according to their condition. The scene in the big shed Was an animated one. Behind long makeshift tables _ were the Medical Board and its assistants, consisting of Colonels J. 11. Purdy, W. E. Collins, Hope Lewis, Captains Tolhurst and Pattie, who, with certain information before them and that supplied by the mon on'a printed form, spent the whole of the morning and part of the afternoon attending to" the .returned warriors.

These men formed a rather sad spectacle, most of them having been "broken in the war," and, were written down by the English Medical Board as permanently unfit for war service.. Qno of tho soldiers explained, that all of the men were examined by a medical board which sat at. the High Commissioner's office,, Victoria Street, London, and classified the men when they had reported after a period of furlough in England (usually a period of six weeks). The classification letters were-.—Letter A, fit; letter B, temporarily unfit: letter C, permanently lin'fit; letter I), discharge 3.. The Arawa's men are practically all in the C class, which is subject to review by 1 the Medical Board here, hence the re-ex-amination of the men on arrival- Then again it is pointed out that "unfit for war service" ~may. not mean unfit for home service, and doubtless many of the men who have returned from. England and have gained military experience in the hardest and best of all schools may be made practical use of in training troops that are going forward. Heroes of August. On making inquiries amongst the men, it was ascertained that tho largest proportion of, them had been hit in the terrific attack- which , was mado on the Turkish 'position in August of last year. ■'Whilst- yarning to one of tl/e August heroes yesterday about that famous charge, he said with simple earnestness"Hell was only a rumour compared) with August 81"

"flow woro wo treated?" replied,ono private in reply to a question about their stay in England. "We were tho ones—

tho ' Anzacs—before Canadians, or. Frenchies, or auy of 'em. ' They gave us a bully time, and don't you forget it!" And those round him smiled corroboratively.- From the military hospitals at Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol, Tooting, Chelsea, and Walton-on-Thames, they had, after their furlough; assembled at "Grey Towers," Horiichurch, a , beautiful _ place, and there they had 1 a lovely time. "Grey Towers," the new re-asseipbling camp for New Zealand soldiers (instead of Weymouth, now occupied by the Australian troops only), and which is under the control of Major Dawson and Captain Price, of whom the men speak in the highest terms. Among the Araiva's men, were fivo Maoris,' two from Eotorua, one from Palmerston North, one from Gisborne, and one from Hastings. These men were loud in their praise of England and the English, and glory in the fact that they are, and always will be, "Anzacs." Before the Board l . Being "boarded 1 is the military term for appearing before a Medical -Board. Most of tho men from England are used to the and by the time they reach" here know exactly what tho medical examiners wish to know, and answer all questions smartly and intelligently. Yesterday they were given leave varying from 7 to 28 days, according to' circumstances, whilst those who were hopelessly "broken" in e military sense get their 28 <fey«' leave and dis, charge. ' , Whilst the Medical Board operated on. one side of the shed, a staff from the vStores Department, with heaps of uniforms, greatcoats, hats, caps, and boots, socks, etc., were in attendance to supply every man. with any shortages in his landing kit. Each is supposed to have two jackets, two pairs of trousers, two pairs boots, two pairs drawers, two working and two undershirts, a greatcoat, hat and puggaree, cap, bag, a pair of braces, jersey, and towel. It was good to 'seo the men leaving the wharf yesterday, spruce and clean in new uniforms, in pkoe of the well-washed, faded clothes by *hich' the returned soldier was distinguished last yew,