HOME FROM THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 24, 23 October 1918, Page 4

HOME FROM THE FRONT

1 TWO DRAFTS ARRIVE. Tlie waterfront thoroughfares were alive with hurrying traffic yesterday afternoon, owing to the arrival of two drafts of returned soldiers. x Draft; 191 arrived in the harbour early yesterday morning. The voyage was not without incident. When still off the English coast one of the vessels in the convoy was torpedoed without any warning. She was only half a mile away at the time, and as there was considerable loss of life, the. episode cast quite a gloom over all hands for a few days. The men who returned had, on the whole, greatly benefited by the long sea voyage, and 'many who had joined tho ship in a very low state of health aro now feeling strong and hearty. A number of men brought their English wives back with them. The Mayor spoke.to some of the women, who were loosing forward eagerly to a happy life m. New Zealand. All on board were eager to lepra the war news, and, as they had heard nothing for some weeks, they were elated at hearing of the big Geiman retrent in France and Belgium. Draft 18G arrived during the afternoon, and the Mayor (Mr. Luke) once more extended a welcome to the men and dispensed fruit and cigarettes to those uho needed them. . , The Voluntary Motor Corps did good work in conveying the in and men to the railway stations, and the Wellington quota 'to their respective destinations.