DOMINION TRANSPORTS.

Taihape Daily Times, 20 February 1919, Page 4

DOMINION TRANSPORTS.

LUCKY WAR RECORD. 38 VESSELS EMPLOYED ONLY TWO SHIPS SUNK The tranports engaged in the work of carrying New Zealand's army overseas were essentially lucky ships While under New Zealand charter conveying New Zealand troops only one met with mishap—the Athenic, which went aground at Jamaica, with the thirty-ninth reinforcements on board. Sho was subsequently got off, but not before her contingent, which had three weeks' stay at Port Royal had sailed in a Dutch boat, via New York, en route to England. The only ships actually sunk by submarines were the Aparima and thu Waitemata, which met their fate soon after they were transferred to the Imperial Government. "New Zealand charter" thus spelt "good luck" to ships that sailed under it.

The shortest voyage to Egypt, was 35 days, the longest (Main B'ody) 4S days; the shortest to England (thirty firsts and thirty-seconds) 49 days, and the longest (the thirty-ninths) 82 days.

It required no fewer than 111 ships aggregating 764,011 tons, to transport the New Zealand Expeditionary Force aboard. These ships represent actual separate sailings with troops and horses from New Zealand ports, and ane exclusive of mounted rifle drafts which sailed from the 15th onwards