ST. JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE OVERSEAS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 253, 21 July 1919, Page 4

ST. JOHN AMBULANCE BRIGADE OVERSEAS

WELCOMING RETURNED MEMBERS. On Friday evening a "welcome home" to Lieutenant-Colonel Barclay; Y.D., Captain Sandhnm, M.C:, and other of their members who have been away on active service was held by the St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas in the Esperanto rooms on Lambton Quay. There was a good attendance of members, and the Mayor, Mr. J. P. Luke, M.P., 0.M.G., "presided. In welcoming the guests the Mayor spoko of tho -high estimation in which the work of the Overseas Brigade and all auxiliaries of service was held and the part they had played had done much in helping U> bring the war to a successful conclusion. He also made special reference to the splendid work of women not only in tho Home countries but here in New Zoaland, where their work of supplying, comforts to the men and of working for the sick and wounded had been of very great help. The work of St. John Ambulance had extended .up to the front lines, and men who wore succoured looked back upon tho work of St. John Ambulance with . much gratitude. Colonol Barclay, Deputy-Commis-sioner'in charge, had left New Zealand for the war in 1915, and from that'time to tho signing of the armistice he had worked for the Army and had shown great capacity and had won the appreciation of oil who had oomo into contact with him. To Captain Sandham Mr Luke also extended congratulations upon his safe return to New Zealand. Captain Sandham, as they all knew had left with tho Main Body and had done particularly-splendid work. On behalf of citizens and members .of tho brigade he heartily welcomed him back, as ho did ail other members who had been on active service. ... Mr Seed, . Assistant-Commissioner in seconding, the Mayor's remarks welcoming Lieutenant Colonel Barclay, said that they had all watched his career with tho "realest interest. Ho had worked at G-allipoli, then France,..and later in England, and had ■ done good ' work wherever ho had been. . In thanking.the Mayor and the members of tho brigade for the welcome that they had given' him, Lieut.-Coionel Barclay said that their invitation had reached him .when 1000 miles away from New Zealand, and'he had felt very glad that he -had' not been forgotten by Ins Ambulance friends in the Dominion. Keferring to the war work of women throughout tho Empire, .he said that it had first come across his path in Egypt, then later in France and in England. Every kind of work had been undertaken by. them, from. VXD' -to »' branches of industry and callings. ,ui the work done by the St John organisation he cort'.d only say that it had been very great indeed. One of . its outstanding achievements was the St. John Hospital at Staples. A. very groat number of patients, were put through, ana at one fee tho hutments had been very badly damaged, but they had carried or. all the same. St. John hospitals had been established in various provincial towns in England. Early m tho war the work at St. John's Gate grew very heavy, and Mr Fisher (of Wellington) had become Registrar, ail enrolments passing through his hands. The organisation had drawn upon M eligible niombers, hud activities had to besought in other directions. (Ju?en . llarys Needlework Guild had done ; big work, and St. John had worked with the Red Cross, as they all knew. • A further point touched upon >y Colonel.Barclay was that early in the war the attention of the authorities had been drawn to the fact that m members of the Ambulance they naa people who were highly, trained and were fit for active service. They were told they were not wanted. ' The same reply mot them again later on when they made another application to the authorities. Bofoio the armistice, however, it was indicated to them that Voluntary M Workers were wanted. In conclusion, Colonel Barclay congratulated members on the way they hail worked and kept St. John to the .front Ee had seen evideuco of that work in many places.. „ ■ , , Captain Sandham, M.C, was next welcomed by Mr Seed. Captain &™dbam, he said, had brought back new ideas and was infusing fresh- enthusiasm ammn, members. Ho had left New Zealand with the Main Body as sergeant-major, and had earned his promotion on the field He had been wounded' and gassed, and had suffered all the ills which si many men suffer when on service Mi Reed also welcomed Dr.Harcourt Arthur, Dr Agnes Bennet (who- was at present in Australia), Sister Marian Macandrew, Miss B. Macintosh. Miss Hyde (Wellng- , Nm'sing Division), Mr Valentine Heath, Mr. Frank Ward, and LanceCorporal Cable (of the' Wellington Ambulance Division), Mr. Andrews (Pelone Ambulance Division) Lieutenant 1. Cameron (Wnnganui. Ambulance Division), and others. , j Lieutenant F. Cameron seconded Mr. Seed's remarks, and spoke very highly ot the work of Captain Sandham, which lmd been simply invaluable. Rations and-comforts for the men be had if. Captain Sandham had anything to do with things, and m all wajs every consideration had been shown toi the wounded men when he was about. Several apologies were received, together with wishes for a very cordial welcome from those who, owing to the curtailed.train service and holidays, were not able to be present. . During the evening musical and otnei items were contributed by Miss Bart.ey, Mi*. Segrief, Mr. Spencer, and. supper concluded a very pleasant and interesting evening. The room had been von , prettily decorated by Mr. Cook, of the D.1.C., and all 'the members. .of the nursing divisions were in uniform. |