The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, February 3, 1916. NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 1505, 3 February 1916, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Thursday, February 3, 1916. NEW ZEALAND CASUALTIES.

Thk latest official return of casualties in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force shows the heavy losses sustained in all branches of the service at the Dardanelles. The Auckland Herald referring to this subject says the losses, computed to January 24, in killed, deaths from wounds and disease, missing, and wounded are given as 8170, probably about one-third of the total number of men who have reached the firing-line. At the close of last year New Zealand had raised approximately 43,000 for the front. These included 12,600 men still in training in the Dominion, the Samoan force of 1419 and the Samoan relief force of 600. Therefore, the number of troops who had sailed for Egypt up to December 31 was about 28,400. A small proportion of these were detained for service in Egypt, and others destined for the Anzac trenches had not reached their comrades before the evacuation took place. The official cusualty list is almost entirely composed of the names ot men who have been engaged on the Gallipoli Peninsula, only a few having fallen in the fighting against the Senussl. The proportion of losses, therefore, is very heavy, even when allowance Is made for the number of men who have recovered from wounds or sickness and have rejoined their regiments. The ninth reinforcements have already sailed this year. Including these, the Minister ior Defence estimates that in June next we shall have sent about 50,000 men to the front — including Samoa —and shall then have another 10,000 troops in training. Now that the Gallipoli campaign has been abandoned we may hope for decreasing casualty lists, but the whole record of the past’ shows the need for sending forward every reinforcement draft at full strength until the close of the war.