HOSPITAL SHIP MAHENO

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2956, 20 December 1916, Page 5

HOSPITAL SHIP MAHENO

'ARRIVAL.AT AUCKLAND.

By Telegraph—Press Association,

, Auckland, December 19. The Hospital' Ship Maheno arrived early this morning with 376 officers and men who have been invalided home.. The vessel anchored in the stream about 3.45 a.m., and early in the morning she was boarded by a military party consisting of General Sir Alfred llc-bin, Surgeon-General Henderson, Col. Patterson, Officer Commanding Auckland District, Captain Dyer, General Staff .Officer, and other representatives of the local Defence Department.: At 12 o'clock tho vessel lifted her anchor, and slowly drew alongside the: Queen's •Wharf. In addition to the men there are also " returning fifteen officers and two sisters of- the nursing staff. The ship's contingent is made up of 150 men for Wellington, 95 for Auckland, 70 for Port Chalmers, and :61 for Lyttelton. Of the Auckland party six 'are cot oases, and nine indoor patients, while for all parts of New Zealand there is a total of 144 indoor hospital cases of gallant fellows' who' have suffered deplorable wounds,-and it will be many a long day'before they can enjoy to the full freedom which discharge from the hospital ship at 2 p.m. to-day promised them. There is, one sorely ? r .smitten member of tha Maori' Contingent, declared by his mates to be tho happiest man on the ship, who is minus both legs, hut, tha,nks to the'marvellous advance of ,the manufacture of artificial limbs, he has been fixed up in England with a couple of legs which, with the aid of. sticks, will , enable him to walk about despite his affliction. There are many other sad yet wonderful cases aboard bearing eloquent testimony to the skill of our hospital department and to the maternal care with which Old England_ looks after her wounded sons, Despite the inevitable atmosphere of pathos that must surround the home-coming of a. hospital ship, the welcome given to the men was as bright and cheerful as could be wished for. A large crowd joined in giving the men the heartiest of ovations. The ship was in- command of Lieut.-Col. Elliott, and the other-staff officers aboard her are: —Major Christie, Captain H. M. Wilson, Captain J. Barclay, Captain F. Bett,. Captain A. \Vhyte, Lieut. T. AV. Maben, ship's adjutant, and cbapiainsj Lieut.-Col. Evans, Captain J. W. Shaw, and Captain T. Kinkaid. The matron is Miss Bicknell.

Two deaths occurred during the voyage. Two days after leaving Colombo, Staff Nurse L. Lind, who had been invalided hack to New Zealand, died from consumption. . Hor mother resides in Wellington. t During the stay at Albany, Staff Sergt.-Major M'Eenzie, while returning to the ship in a local launch, was accidentally drowned by the swamping of the launch v Deceased, who was formerly on the' household staff of His Excellency the Governor, has no relatives in New Zealand.