AID FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS

Southland Times, Issue 24880, 21 October 1942, Page 4

AID FOR WOUNDED SOLDIERS

AMBULANCE DRIVERS’ HEROISM The warmest praise for the Red Cross and other services provided overseas for the troops was expressed by wounded soldiers who have returned to Invercargill. Admiration for the courage of the field ambulance drivers during the height of actions was expressed by Gunner J. R. Tocker. He said that right up in the front line during the thick of the fighting the field ambulances could be seen moving over the battle area picking up wounded and taking them back to advanced dressing stations. The enemy, particularly the Germans, appeared to respect dressing stations and ambulance trains, but when the ambulances moved up into the field of fire the drivers just had to take their chance. It was extremely risky work and the drivers proved themselves to be real heroes. Gunner J. McCrostie had words of praise for the efforts in Egypt, Australia and New Zealand of the Red Cross. The care for wounded men by the Red Cross in Egypt was beyond praise, he said, and all the troops had the greatest admiration for the services provided. For the troops in the .field the Y.M.C.A. was doing, outstanding work to make the soldier s life as pleasant as possible. The Y.M.C.A. officers went wherever the soldiers went and were to be found right up in the front line. Both organizations, financed from the patriotic fund, weie providing outstanding service. When wounded soldiers were homeward bound they found the Red Cross workers in all areas to be most generous and considerate. “It was the ambition of everyone on the ship to be able to walk off instead of being carried off,” remarked Gunner McCrostie, describing the voyage home. He said all the men on the hospital ship had made excellent recoveries, and of the large number who were carried on board at the start of the voyage comparatively few were still on stretchers when they reached New Zealand.