WILLOCHRA'S DRAFT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 173, 16 April 1919, Page 8

WILLOCHRA'S DRAFT

DISEMBARKED YESTERDAY AFTERNOON A HEARTY WELCOME After an uneventful thirty-six days' voyage from England, the transport Willoclira, with Keturning Draft 232 aboard, berthed at the King's Wharf at. 2.15 p.m. yesterday. Tno draft comprised 1069 oiiiwrs and men, under tho com' mand of Lieut.-Colonel Glendining, uf Wellington.

Unfortunately, the weather yesterday scarcely permitted Wellington to wear a festive- appearance. The returning troops were, however, given a very hearty welcome. In the morning, about 9 o'clock, the Duchess steamed out into the harbour with crowds of. school children aboard, and the youngsters, despite the cold and tbo wet, sang to and cheered the soldiers as the- transport lay await ing her final orders to berth. After the children had been out, the Duchess returned and made another trip, this time with next-of-kin aboard. During the morning the Mayor (Mr. J. P. Luke) paid his customary visit to the transport, and saw to the distribution' of apples and cigarettes to the "boys." When the Willochra drew in at 2.15 a large crowd awaited the disembarkation. The Patriotic Society's Band played cheery selections, and as the first man hurried down tho gangway, eager to be "really home," it struck up' the familiar soldier ditty, "Pack Up Your Troubles in Your Old Kit Bag. The landing was expedited by the provision of two gangways, and it. was completed (under the direction of the military landing officer, Captain Prietor) in half an hour. Among those present was Lieut.-Colonel M'Douald, O.C. Wellington District. An excellent muster of the Citizens' Voluntary Motor Corps, under Captain Pryor, enabled the men to get away very smartly. The Wairarapa men got away by the 2.55 train, and the Union Company kept back tho Nelson-Picton boat to enable the Nelson soldiers to catch it and leave by 3 o'clock. The Auckland men went north by special train last night. The southern men had leave to visit the city, and left for tho south in the evening. The principal buildings of the city flew flags in honour of the occasion. The following statement was issued by the Minister of Public Health (Hon. G. W. Russell) yesterday afternoon;—"As later information regarding-the Willochra is of a yory satisfactory character, it is considered unnecessary to . detain the vessel. The .cases on board have been of a mild description, with nothing of a malignant nature, while tho men havu gone through tho ordinary inhalation treatment, and a very huge number have been vaccinated. In addition it must bo taken into consideration that no cases beyond seven mild ones developed during the journey of many thousands of miles. For all these reasons, it is felt unnecessary to detain the vessel any longer. The removal of the embargo applies to the whole of Ihe cases, and it will not now bo necessary to send tho patients and the contacts to Somes Island."