THE WILLOCHRA.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 September 1916, Page 5

THE WILLOCHRA.

ARRIVAL OF DISABLED MEN. A. NURSES' UNIQUE RECORD, By Telegraph.—Press Association. Dunedin, Sept. 28. Tin' outstanding feature of the Willochra'sr arrival with wounded and invalided soldiers is the large proportion of permanently unfit. A good many have spent, a long time in British hosintals recovering from bad wounds received a year ago in Gallipoli. About fliirty were permanently maimed. Most of tiv=e ca.-es have artificial limbs of the very latest type and appreciate the fact of the authorities having procured for them the best possible appliances. There i« only one cot case, Sapper A. C. Steele (Auckland), pneumonia. There are two D.C.M.'s on board—Corporal Norman Clarke (Lyttclron), and Private L. Crawford Watson (Waikato). .Included among the nurses is, Sister K. M. Lewis. She had a remarkable experience. She went home for a trip, arriving 0 n September 1, 1!)14, and sk days Inter was in Belgium with a British fhld hospital. She was nine weeks at Antwerp until the Germans were almost at that city, went to Serbia, and was in the terril.le retreat of the Seeonci Serbian Army, receiving a shrapnel wound on the shoulder while doing duty in the trenches. She was decorated personally by King Peter for rescue

Tbsj men were under the charge of Lieut-Colonel G. F. Hutton, who came to New Zealand in 1912 as aide-de-camp to Lord Liverpool.

Those who have been at both fronts state that, whereas the conditions as to fooct and billeting are really luxurious in France, compared with Gailipoli, there is :.o comparison, absolutely between a German bombardment and a Turkish, ami it was easier to find shelter in Gailipoli, even though the area was restricted In France, the country was like a billiard table, and life in the trenches was indescribable. • The Wihochra reached the Heads at 1 a.in, but, owing to fog, did not berth at I'wt Chalmers till 7 a.m., when every tffort was made to expedite military and ir.cdi.rJ work so as to allow the northern men to leave at mid-dav.