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BACK FROM THE WAR.

TARANAKI BOYS. WHAT COLONEL MALONE DID. TALK WITH LIEUT. HARTNELL. By Telegraph.—Special to Daily News. Dunedin, Last Night. Looking none the worse for his 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 heing embraced by mothers, sisters, sweethearts, and other relatives' and friends, but surely Taranaki will make it all 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 fit and well, but by his own confession fat and far from fit to last ten brisk rounds. Private Nicliolls, I understand, goes to Inglewood, and then for New Plymouth are Lieut. Hartnell, Private Amos (of Pungarehu), and Private Ernie Hine (of New Plymouth). Poor Ernie, not so long ago a perfect athlete, now lies in his berth, partly paralysed, but gaining strength daily. Only his 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 Lieut. Hartnell found himself motored on Sunday to the great civic reception by another old Taranaki boy, Claude Capet, manager of the Taieri and Peninsula Dairy Company, '

COLONEL MALONE'S WORK. Lieut. Hartnell speaks in glowing terms of the work of Colonel Malone, " a Very fine officer," who would certainly have received big promotion, and whose memory will doubtless receive some recognition. He was beloved bv his men, was skilled in strategy, selfreliant, and resourceful, and was the only colonial officer holding a "post command" on the Peninsula, other colonials having regimental commands only. "He turned Quinn's Post," said Lieut. 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 rushes, but every morning we saw them repaired. Colonel Malone changed his tactics. We must wear them down by rifle fire, he said. 'For every shot the Turks fire we must fire two, and make a target of every loophole and every new sandbag.' This was successful."

After touching on the bravery of our boys, Lieut. Hartnell specially mentioned Sergeant Reg. Sold, his orderly, "as fine a man as New Zealand sent." Taranaki boys were equal to any, and better than most.

ARTHUR CARBINES' TRAGIC END. Arthur Carbines' end was tragic. He volunteered for the deadly work of carrying water to the advanced trenches, but contrary to orders he wore a woollen cap, which made him resemble a Turk, and a nerve-shattered British officer stepped up and blew his brains out with A revolver.

STARVED FOR AMMUNITION. The moat tragic of all, though, is the statement of every man that the Gallipoli forces were starved for ammunition. The howitzers were only able to fire two rounds daily, and bombs were terribly scarce. There is no hope of beating the Turks unless these conditions are vastly improved. BOY OFFICERS. Another tragedy is that of sending hoys and young men to the front, whether as officers or privates, as they soon break up under the terrible strain. Men do not take kindly, either, to boy officers. A tragedy again lies in the unpreparedness to deal with sick men, the only food available on the Peninsula, even for dysentery patients, being soup and bully beef. One man said, ''The New Zealand authorities seemed to think we would never be wounded, and never be sick, so we had to be hospitalled anywhere at all at first."

HEROIC STRETCHER BEARERS. There is very general admiration of the Australians and of the doctors and nurses, but not of the pessimistic Mr. Ash'mead Bartlett, who was very seldom actually at the front, and who wrote mostly from hearsay. Of the stretcher bearers, Lieut. Hartnell 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 Lieut. Seldon landed here, and is staying in Dunedin for a while. When the ship left Ted Avery was nearly fit to leave hospital for another spell in the trenches.

HARTNELL'S MESSAGE FROM THE TRENCHES. "And have you any message for ua from the front?" asked the News man. ''My message brought from Gallipoli, from the front trenches, is this: 'Men are wanted urgently; strong men. It is no use to send men unless they are sound and fit. The fact that man lias lost the tip of a finger need not; disqualify him so long as a man can stand the strain of hard work. Wc want more men. Boys and weaklings arc worse than useless, a drag on their comrades and a drain on our resources." WELCOMED IN CHRISTCHURCH. By Telefripth.—'Presa AuoeUtioi. Christchureh, Last Night. The Willochra men and other returned soldiers were accorded a welcome in the city to-day. The men were conveyed in motor cars through decorated streets and a cheering multitude to the OoJisseuni, where they were entertained at lunch. Speeches were made bv the Hons. Jas. Allen and G. W, Russell. The latter stated that the Mayor of Christchurch and Mr. Wm. Reece 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/TDN19151102.2.13

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1915, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
1,003

BACK FROM THE WAR. Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1915, Page 3

BACK FROM THE WAR. Taranaki Daily News, 2 November 1915, Page 3

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