SAILING OF MAIN BODY

Evening Post, Volume CXVIII, Issue 92, 16 October 1934, Page 10

SAILING OF MAIN BODY

TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY

DOMINION'S AEMADA

In the early morning light, twenty 3'cars ago today, a miniature armada put out to sea from Wellington Har-boui-f taking with it the most precious freight that had left these shores — young New Zealanders, over eight thousand of them. The occasion was the doparturo of the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, a historic event in the annals of this Dominion, and one which, rightly enough, is being remembered in Wellington today by a ceremony at the Citizens' War Memorial at 5.30 p.m., to be followed by a big reunion gathering in the Winter Show building at 8 p.m. New Zealand's little armada on that memorable morning of October IG, 1914, when the country was swept from end to end with patriotic fervour, comprised ten grey-painted transports —the Maunganui (aboard which was MajorGeneral Godlcy and the staff), the Hawke's Bay, Star of India, Limerick, Tahiti, Arawa, Athonic, Orari, Kuapehu, and Waimana —and four cruisers, the Minotaur, Psyche, Philomel, and the Japanese cruiser Ibuki. The transports were filled with berths for men,' and stalls for 3515 horses. Crowds of watchers saw the vessels go out from the quiet haven of the harbour, but whither the ships were bound they knew not, neither did the rank and file of the force. Describing the scene, "13/329" wrote: "In spite of the early hour the hills around Seatoun were black with people. At the Heads several ferry boats crowded with relatives and friends were lying, and didn't they give us a great send-off. As each ship passed, three rousing cheers wore given, and the boys responded lustily. Continuous cheering cam© over the water from Seatoun hills, and the waving of flags, handkerchiefs, towels —anything —made an unforgettable sight. It was good-bye to the N.Z.E.F., and good-bye to New Zealand. Wo were off to the war. Will any of us Main Body men ever forget October 16, 1914? Hardly!" THREE WEEKS' DELAY. Actually October 16 was not tho date originally fixed for the departure of the convoy. It was to have left some three weeks earlier. There was .a big parade at Newtown Park on September 24. The troops were inspected by his Excellency the Governor, the Earl of Liverpool, tho Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. W. F. Masscy), and the Minister of Defence (the Hon: Sir James Allen), after which they marched through the streets and boarded four transports lying at the wharves. With the exception of one, which remained at her berth, the ships anchored in the stream for the night. They were to sail next morning, and, with four ships from Lyttelton and Port Chalmers, were to join two ships from Auckland at sea. But in the morning tho two ships that left Auckland, escorted by 11.M.5. Philomel, were wirelessed to put back to port, and in. Wellington tho seven transports then lying in the harbour were berthed, tho number thus accommodated at the wharves, with the one that had not put out into the stream tho evening before, being eight. A more powerful naval escort was required, news having been received of the presence in the Pacific of the German cruisers Scharnhorst, Gneisenau, and Einden, and until this was available the troops were occupied with exercising their horses in and around Wellington, with musketry drill, and route marching. Eventually, on October 14, H.M.S. Minotaur and H.I.J.M.S. Ibuki arrived. The two Auckland transports, escorted by H.M.S. Philomel, came down to Wellington, arriving here the next day, and then on tho following morning the 14 ships left the harbour. The first stago of the Great Adventure, as it has been called, had begun. COMPOSITION OF MAIN BODY. Tho Main Body was formed at the outbreak of tho war iii August, 1914. With a total strength of 7761, which had to be maintained in the field, it was made up of the following units:— Total Strength. Headquarters staff 84 1 Mounted Rifles Brigade (3 regiments) 1681 Otago Mounted Rifle Regiment 549 1 Field Artillery Brigade 615 1 Infantry Brigade (4 battalions) 4062 1 Field Troop Engineers 77 Signallers 146 Transport and Supply Units .. 224 Medical Units 253 Services and Departments 40 Total Main Body 77G1 The Main Body was accompanied by tho Ist Reinforcements, which numbered 738, bringing the total strength of the troops who sailed away on October 16, according to official statistics, up to 8499. Of this number 360 were officers. THE VOYAGE. From AYellington the fleet went first to Hobart. Tho destination of the troops proved to be Alexandria, in Egypt. Au interesting account of the voyage is contained in the Gallipoli volume —written by Major Fred Waite, D.5.0., N.Z.E., now a member of the Legislative Council —in the absorbing series of the official history of New Zealand's effort in the Great War. While confined to the narrow waters of Cook Strait, tho fleet preserved its line ahead formation, but after passing Cape Farewell the two divisions of five ships each steamed in parallel lines eight cable lengths apart. Miles ahead raced tho Minotaur, a speck on the horizon, tho Philomel was four miles astern, while on either beam, six miles away, were tho other two cruisers—the Ibuki to starboard and the Psyche to port. After six weary days at sea Hobart, Tasmania, was reached. A route march was held the following day, and that afternoon the ships again put to sea. The Psycho returned to New Zealand, and her place was taken by the Pyramus. At Albany the New Zealanders were joined by Australian troops in 26 transports, which steamed in three parallel divisions and were joined a day out by two Westralian transports from Fremantle. The New Zealand ships retained their old formation, but the old "P" class cruisers were replaced by the two new Australian ships, the Sydney and the Melbourne. With the knowledge that the Scharnhorst. Gneisenau, and Emden were roaming the Pacific great attention was paid to the masking nf lights at night, and it was as well that this,.-was done, for it was learned after tho Sydney had destroyed the Emden at the Cocos Islands that on tho night of November 8, tho German raider had actually crossed the bows of the convoy without knowing it. The engagement of tho Sydney with the Emden was an incident, in the voyage of which the troops saw nothing, but, nevertheless, it created intenso excitement among them.

There was a run ashnro at Colombo, and then tho convoy hemlod for Aden and the Suez Canal." Tn tho Tfed Sea a wireless message was received instructing the force to preparo for a disembarkation in Egypt, and on December 3. exactly seven -weeks after leaving Wellington. Alexandria was reached. There in Egypt was the final training

ground for Anzac and the other illustrious deeds, which remain a monument to the courage and gallantry of the men from New Zealand and Australia.