RETURNING SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 195, 7 May 1918, Page 6

RETURNING SOLDIERS

. BISEMBARKATION ARRANGEMENTS. In futuro the procedure to be followed by the Defence Department when returned invalided soldiers disembark at Wellington or Auckland will bo as follows :— The ship carrying the returning soldiers will be anchored in the stream where all the work of, medical boarding, issue of leave passes and travelling warrant's, advance of pay, checking of baggage, etc.. will be carried out. Tho tune occupied onco this work is started will bo approximately Gj hours for 500 men and about one extra hour will be required for each additional 100 men. Although tho Government has been compelled to cancel free rail passes to next-of-kin, a reserved enclosure for relatives and friends of returning soldiers will be provided, two tickets for which can bo obtained by tho next-of-kin or 1 friends nominated by the latter. When the port of arrival is Wellington these j tickets can bo obtained by application at j the Base Records Office, and 'when tho port of arrival is Auckland, at the De-1 fence Headquarters Office there. These j tickots will not admit to the wharf I alongside which tho ship will berth, as in tho past, because in future all troopships will borth at a guarded wharf to which admittance is prohibited by War Regulations. Into the reserved enclosure tho soldiers will, as soon as the ship has been tied up, bo inarched in companies according to their military district, .and dismissed near tho notice boards bcanug the name of tho district to which each company belongs. By this means it is honed to avoid the difficulties previously experienced by friends and relatives in trying often unsuccessfully to meet soldiers in the crowd round tho ships gangways. . -. . j Motor-cars will bo in waiting _ m the reserved enclosure to take soldiers to 'their destinations, and when tho number of cars permits one relative or triend will bo at liberty to accompany .the soldier. The public aro warned not to congre»atc on tho waterfront as soon as It is reported that a troopship has arrived -tho soldiers cannot be disembarked until several hours after arrival (this period will vary as shown above according to the number of invalided soldiers carried).' Within two hours of the anchoring of the ship in the stream notices will bo posted outsido the wharf gates, post office, Defence office, newspaper offices, and Returned Soldiers Club aunouncing the timo that tho ship will berth at the wharf. No disembarkation will take pluco before the timo specified and unless at leust two hours notico is given by an amended, notification at tho above-mentioned offices there will not bo undue delay in the berthing of the ship at the specified time. Relatives resident away from tho port of arrival nvo cautioned against coming in to meet the troopship as, now that freo rail passes cannot bo issued, it is ! the desiro of the Government that solj diers be dispatched with least possible ! delay to their homes. Arrangements i are, therefore, being made for special j troop trains, when tho number to bo j carried is large enough, to leave tho port ! of arrival as soon as possible after dis- ! embarkation. As relatives p.nd friends | cannot bo permitted to travel by special troop trains it will bo realised that to i mnko a journey to the port of arrival ! niav mean :i very brief interview _ with a returned soldier and the latter's return to his homo before his relative can I get back by ordinary train. Tt is strongI lv recommended, therefore, that next-of-kin arrange for relations or friends resident, at port of disembarkation to meet soldiers on arrival and that they wolco'mo' their soldiers on' arrival jit their home town or nearest railway station. \n urgent telegram will bo sent aa soon as the information is availablo from tho troopship to the next-of-kin or other person nominated by tho soldier to notifv the time the soldier may bo expected to arrivo at his destination.