MAIN BODY MEN

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3046, 5 April 1917, Page 5

MAIN BODY MEN

* tiPPEAL TOR CONSIDERATION. ■"I am Borry to see that tho Government lias consented to tlie formation |b£ an additional Now Zealand Ihfanitry Brigade aI; the front, hecause I believe that ii better use could have boon Itnade of accumulated Reinforcements," isaid a returned soldier to a Dominion reporter yesterday. "Does anybody byer give a thought to the Main Body - Ineru who fought through Gallipoli, faced the Germans on tho Soinuio last year, and. are still within sound oftho guns, with hearts weary for a holiday amid familiar , scenes and friendly laces? Thoro aro hundreds of thoso follows, who have 'stuck it , right jthrougb, and if wo bavo a surplus tof Reinforcomonts why not give them a real spell, even a trip back to Isow Kealand? "I know how thoso Mam Body mon 'feel, becauso I have Txfen with them. (Lots of them .are very tired—mentally ■,tired. They would wish to be.in it Iwhen the war ends, and if tho finish is coming this/year my suggestion is ho good. Butl if tho war is not going to end this year then New Zealand , ought to say to every man who has hen, say, two years' aefcivo service: i'Gomo home for a spell, and wo will . a fresh man to take .your place.' "I remember reading a letter from ]bno of thoso veterans last year, He had been right through tho Gallipoli Campaign, except for a brief spell in lospital. Thon ho went to France 'with the New Zealand Division, and jfought there. This is what ho wrote: " 'I seem fit enough, and I am glad Jo bo on the job, but I would dearly like a reat from it all—just a rest from the strain and the effort. I hever knew what nerves were before; jnow I am nervy, and just a bit depressed. .. . I wonder if some of the chaps I used to know in tho good old flays in New Zoaland are coming along jto'take our places for a. while.' "Well, nobody took _hiß place. Ho fctayed. at tho work in spite of the jireariness, and ho was killed in action (after .two years' hard service. It feeems to no that man ought to have ■ had his" holiday, and I wish New ZeaJand would realise that there aro lots taoro like him with, the New Zealand 'Forces al tho present timo. They jhavo done more than their, sharo aliroady.."