MAHENO ARRIVES

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2958, 22 December 1916, Page 8

HOME FOR CHRISTMAS

SEVERELY TRIED SOLDIERS

Tho hospital ship Maheno, with a protty full complement' of wounded convalescent soldiers from England, arrived at noon yesterday via Auckland, and was berthed at the King's Wharf. Numerous police, "red-caps," and Harbour Board officials were on duty to prevent all people without passes going here or there. Whilst certain precautions may be necessary for tho public safety and in tho interests of tho men, it is possiblo to placo too severe restraints on the people. Peoplo without passes were not permitted past tho barricade, and those with them only numbered a couple of hundred at -fhe outside. The result was that the publio welcome was not as warm as it might have been. No ono was allowed to go on board without a pass, except the ladies who were distributing fruit and cigarettes among the men; Hie result being that half an hour after-the 6teamer was made fast the crowd, most of them either the parents or relatives of those on board, were still on the wharf, and the men were on board awaiting orders. The result of those restrictions—enforced by officials almost as numerous as tho people—was'that when cheers were called for, three of the feeblest ever hoard on the wharf were given.

The Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) was allowed on board, and when the Wellington City men were lined up on deck be explained to them that it nad been considered inexpedient to have a function of welcome at the Town Hall. He wished to give them, ono and all, a hearty welcome from the people on whose behalf they had made such sacrifices. He know that they had, every one of them, done their duty, and done it nobly, and that in their future lives thoy would do all they could for King and Empire, as in doing so they would be fighting for civilisation and humanity—the noblest thing possible for men to fight for.

Mr. Luke then welcomed the men oncemore on behalf of the citizens of Wellington. They had his best wishes, and if he could do anything for any one of them he would! only be too glad to do so.

The Wellington men were then asked to stack their kits and give their addresses, in order that their gear could be delivered to them.

.The men bore very obvious signs of the battlefield, many being on crutches and using sticks, a sprinkling of these with arms in slings. Somo had quite recovered during the voyage,- but many were suffering from nerves and partial paralysis. All are docketed permanently unfit for Bervice. of them had the little vertical gold stripe on the left sleeve (above the cuff) notifying the world that they had been wounded! Some had two' stripes, and one was noticed with three. The proper badge of courage, these. The brightest feature of the welcomo home was the efforts of the . ladies under Mesdames J- 7. Luke and C. Earle to cheer up the home-comers. They/went on board with baskets of oranges, apples, bananas, cigarettes, and great clusters of sweet-pea blossoms, roses, and other preoious blossoms with a savour of home in each tender petal. This ' bright,' well-dis-posed band were soon busy among the "returned khaki," and to see that their wares were welcome one had no need to glance a' 6econd time. Soon half the men were to be seen with an apple and a cigarette, -. biting and puffing alternately. Officers and Men for Wellington. The following are the officers and men who left the ship here yesterday: Officers.—Capt. A. S. T. Butler, Lieut. C. H. Clarke, Capt. W. S. Cooper, Lieut. G. Purdy, Qhapln. T. F. Taylor.

Nurses—M. Hitchcock, E. M. M'Alluin, G. E. Mason. Men.—Pte. T. Abraham, Pte. T. Allsopp, Pte. G. Allwright, Lce.-Corpl. H. Beattie, Pte. M. F. Beauchamp, llflmn. J. E. Bell, Pte. W. Berry, Pte. 11. P. Beste, Bgr. W. Bolton, Pte. A.' E. Brittain, Pte. J. Brownlee, Pte. J. Bruntou, Pte. T. Burr, Pte. G. Butler, Pto. W. J. Butler, Pte. A. Caldwell, Pte.A. G. Capon, Pte. H. E. Chamberlain, Rflmn. G. T. Chandler, Dvr. P. Clark, Pte. D. F. Clarke, Spr. G. Compton, Spr. J. Connelly, Rflmn. G. J. Cooper, Pte. W. Copeland, Pto. A. Cranswick, Pte. P. Creely, Sergt. G. Darton, Sergt. H. H. Davies, Rflmn. E Davis, Spr. W. Donaldson, Sergt. R. E. C. Dowling, Rflmn. J. Driscoll, Rflmn. P. R. Drower, Rflmn. R. Elliott; Pte. H. Ellis, Rflmn. T. C. Elliston, Lce.-Corpl. H. J. Evans, Pte. T. Farrant,Pte. A. S. Firmin, Bomb. C. H. Forrest, Pto. R. B. Gibson, Pte. R. E. Ginders, Spr. W. B. Ganders, ■Pte. R. Glasgow," Pto. P. J; Glass, Rflmn. R. H. Goldsbrough, Rflmn. W. Haggart Gnr. AV. 0. Hall, Pte. N. Halhwell, Sergt. B. L. Hammond, Rflmn. T. W. Hanna, Pte. F. J.- Harris, Pto. J. S. Harrison, Pte. T. A'. Harwood, Corpl. W. E. Spr. L. G. Haworth, Pte. H. J. Heath, Rflmn, E. H. Herbert, Spr. T. Hesketh, Rflmn. R. Hill, Dvr. L. Jackson, Pte. H. B. Jamieson, Dvr. P. W. Johnstone, Pto. W. Jones, Pte. C. Joyce, Lce.-Corpl. H. E. Juson, Spr. A. E. Kerslake, Rflmn. C. M. Kirkland, Pte. P. Kora, Lce.-Corpl. C. J. Lawson, Sergt.-Major A.' W. Ledbrook, Tpr. C. Lepper, Pto. P. Lewis, Pte. A. H. Lockie, Pte. C. J. Malloy, Sergt. F. W. Mansfield, Rflmn. P. J. Mason, Spr. A. R. Masters, Pte. R. W. Matterson, Pte. E. Mayo,' Pte. H. J. Millman, Pte AY. M. Molloy, Pte. J. Morgan, Lce.-Corpl. AV. G. Morpeth. Sergt.Major N. G. Morrison, Corpl. S. M'Bride, Pte. H. M'Donald, Spr. K. R. M'lsaao, Pte. N. E. M'Kelvey, Pte. H. M. M'Laughlin, Pte. AV. L. M'Rae, Rflmn. S. Nelson, Pte. A. Nicholson, Rflmn. N. Nicholson, Rflmn. A. Nickless, Rflmn. P. Norberg, Spr. T. J. O'Connor, Pte. L. F. Orr, Rflmn. A. H. Palmer, Tpr. J. L. Pegg, Rflmn. R. Percival, Pte. 'A. H. Peters, Pte. AV. G. Pointon, Pte. N. E. Pollen, Rflmn. H. M. Poole, Spr. F. G. Porter, Dvr. J. L. Rees, Rflmn. H. R«eve, Sergt. C. Riddell, Rflmn. A. H. Ruff, Pte. W. Russell, Rflmn. S. Sellars, Gnr. A. H. Sewell, Pte. J. Sharon, Pte. A. .Sherriff, Dvr. C. Sinclair, Corpl. 0. Solvandcr, Sergt. AVi F. Southam, Tpr. J. H. Stanley, Pte. F. A. Stenson, Corpl. AV. F. Suckling, Rflmn. A. C. Thompson, Corpl. L. A. Trussell. Rflmn. 'AV. H. Tyack, Lce.Corpl. E. A. AVallace, Sergt. C. B. Webster, Rflmn. J. AA'edd, Spr. H. AATielan, Pte. A. E. AVhite, Rflmn. J. E. White, Pto. AV. White, Gnr. K. E. Wiggins, Tpr. P. D. AVildhore, Spr. F. Wilks, Corpl. L. AVilliams, Tpr. F. 'E. Wilson, Pte. H. E. Winder, Lce.-Corpl. S. AA'inter, Pte. A. Winterburn, Pte. P. H. AA 7 ood, Pte. L. C. Wyatt.

Wellington Cot Cases. The following are tho cot cases for Wellington :— 10/1450 Capt. W. S. Cooper. 3/1143 Pte. M. F. Beanctfcmp. 23/1556 Pte. R. P. Bestc. 8/2544 Pte. J. Brownlec. 10/2899 Pte. W. Copeland. 23/1369 Rflmn. P. R. Drower. 10/1810 Pte. 'A'. S. Firm'in. 23/162 Rflmn. T. W. Hanna. 10/3589 Pte. .T. S. Harrison. 8/2039 Pte. P. Lewis. 6/1619 Pto. R. W. Matterson. 24/1736 Rflmn. H. M. M'Laughlin. 10/2718 Pto. A. Nicholson. 26/127 Rflmn. N. Nicholson. 10/3981 Pte, W, G. Pointon.

f 10/29 Sergt. C. Riddell. 10/8 Sorgt. "\V. F. Southam. 16/60 Pte. A. Wintorburn. [ The Maheno proceeds on to Lyttcllon and Port Chalmers with the balauco of her complement of wounded. It is understood that the ship's staff will have to stand by until January 6. All walking cases for other ports wore given leave yesterday afternoon until 5.30 p.m. Mr. Fox attended yesterday, and gave all the returned men a cordial invitation to hiako tho fullest use of the Returned Soldiers' Club whilst in Wellington.