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THE WILLOCHRA RETURNS

NEWS OF TARANAKI SOLDIERS. LIEUTENANT HARTNELL’S EXPERIENCES. Dunedin. November I. Looking none the worse lor Jos strenuous service on Gallipoli .Peninsula with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, and practically recovered from shrapnel wounds, Lieut. Frank Hartnell, of New Plymouth, greeted with a glad smile the representative of the Daily News on the wharf at Dunedin, when the troopship Willochra came alongside. There was something wholly pathetic in the attitude of the Wellington and Auckland men, who felt extremely “out of it,” whilst the Otago and Southland men were embracing and being embraced by mothers, sisters, sweethearts, and other relatives and friends, but surely Taranaki will make it ail up to our town boys when they at last reach home on Wednesday night. Stratford will welcome Allan Maxwell, of Toko, of boxing fame, looking very lit and well, but by his own confession fat and far from lit to last ten brisk rounds.

Private Nicholls, 1 understand, goes to Inglewood, and then for New Plymouth are Lieutenant Hartnell, Private Amos (of Pungarehu), and Private Ernie Mine (of New Plymouth). Poor Ernie, not so long ago a perfect athlete, now lies in his berth, partly paralysed, but gaining strength daily. Only hi s marvellous constitution, stout heart, and wonderful cheerfulness have kept him above the ground, but he reckons on pulling through. Every “sport” in Taranaki will wish him well. By a singular coincidence Lieutenant Hartnell found himself motored on Sunday to the great civic reception by another old Taranaki hoy, Claude Capet, manager of the Taieri and Peninsula Dairy Company. THE LATE COLONEL MALONE. Lieutenant Hartnell speaks in glowing terms of the work of Colonel Malone, “a very hue officer,” who would certainly have received big promotion, and whose memory will doubtless receive some recognition. He was beloved by his men, was skilled in strategy, self-reliant, and resourceful, and was the only colonial officer holding a “post command” on the Peninsula, other colonials, havfoig regimental commands only. “He turned Quinn’s Post,” said Lieutenant Hartnell, “from the most dangerous part of the front to what we called the Old Men’s Home. The officer preceding him had persisted in futile attempts to destroy the ’.Turkish sand-bag barricades by night pushes, but every morning we saw thorn repaired. Colonel Malone changed his tactics. We must wear them dawn by rifle lire, he said. ‘For every shot the Turks lire we must fire two, and make a target of every loophole and every new sandbag.’ This wag ‘'successful.” After touching on the bravery of our boys, Lieutenant Hartnell spe&-

ialiy mentioned Sergeant Reg. Sole, Ills orderly, “as lino a man as New Zealand sent.” Taranaki boys were equal to any, and bettor than most. I WAR TRAGEDIES. Arthur Carbines' end wa s tragic. Ho volunteered lor the deadly work oi carrying water to the advanced trenches, but contrary to orders he wore a woollen cap, which made him re- ! semble a Turk, and a nerve-shattered British officer stepped up and blew his brains out with a revolver. I The most tragic of all, though, is the statement of every man that the, Gallipoli forces were starved for ammunition. The howitzers were only able to lire two rounds daily, and bombs | were terribly scarce. There is no hope of beating the Turks unless these conditions are vastly improved. , Another tragedy is that of sending boys and young men to the front, 1 , whether as officers or privates, as they soon break up under the terrible ! strain. Men do not lake kindly, j either, to boy officers. A tragedy again lies iu the unpreparedness to' deal with sicl* men, the only food available on the Peninsula, even for 1 dysentery patients, being soup ami bully beef. One man said, “The iNew Zealand authorities seemed to think we would never bo wounded, and never be sick, so we had to he hospi-1 tailed anywhere at all at first.”

THE STRETCHER BEARERS. There is very general admiration of the Australians and of the doctors and nurses, but not of the pessimistic Mr Ashmead Bartlett, who was very seldom actually at the front, and who wrote mostly from hearsay. Of the stretcher bearers, Lieutenant Hart- j nell says: “If our soldiers were brave, then these stretcher bearers were heroes. They go anywhere through a hail of bullets to carry out the wounded, and our boys go where no British ambulance would be allowed to go.” “And are you going back?” I asked the popular Lieutenant. The answer came in his playful challenge to a Dunedin officer to see who could get fit first for another spell of active service. It should be added that Lieutenant Seldon landed here, and is staying in Dunedin for a while. When the ship left Ted Avery was nearly j lit to leave hospital for another spell j in the trenches. STRONG MEN WANTED. “And have you any message for ns from the front?” asked the News man. “My message brought Iron! Gallipoli, from the front trenches, is this; ‘Men are' wanted urgently; strong men.’ ft is no use to send men unless they are sound and fit. The fact that man Ims lost the tip of a finger need not disqualify him so long as a. man can stand the strain of uard work. We want more men. Boys and weaklings are worse than useless, a drag on their comrades and a drain ou our resources.”

te WELCOMED IN CHRISTCHURCH. 7 s- Peb Pekss Association. Christchurch, November 1. > f The Willochra men and other rev turned soldiers were -.accorded a welcome in- the city to-day. The men - were conveyed in motor cans through - decorated streets and a cheering multitude to the Colosseum, where they were entertained at lunch. Speeches were made by the Hons. das. Allen and G. W. Russell. The latter stated tiuit the Mayor oi' Christchurch and Mr Win. Ileece had been appointed members of the National War Fund Council. The North Island men ex'' Willochra left for Wellington by the Monowai this afternoon.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/STEP19151102.2.30

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 54, 2 November 1915, Page 7

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,005

THE WILLOCHRA RETURNS Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 54, 2 November 1915, Page 7

THE WILLOCHRA RETURNS Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 54, 2 November 1915, Page 7

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