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| Corporal Arthur Maras (left)
was a registered gasfitter, plumber and electrician in
everyday
life before he joined up. The other man is probably the
Chief of the Hospital. Arthur was
apparently in the medical corps and an orderly at
the hospital until they learned of his skills.
One day a visiting dignitary from the army was being shown
through the hospital and
generator room and said "What is this switch?"
and went to touch it and Arthur slapped his
hand away and told him it would have put the hospital in
chaos and soldiers would have died.
It was the main switch. A soldier does not touch a senior
officer but he accepted it. His aide
said on the quiet to Arthur "Good job!" |
Photo and story kindly donated by:
Cynthia Gifford Moore, New Zealand
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| Photo probably taken at No1 NZ
General Hospital Brockenhurst
showing, Nurse Maria Ellen Duffield from Southampton (back
rowin black hat) wife of Cpl Maras see picture above. |
| Photo kindly donated by: Cynthia Gifford
Moore, New Zealand |
The
following photos were kindly donated by the late Harry
Wright, Blenheim NZ
WEBMASTERS COMMENTS
I would like to thank Harry Wright who sadly passed away on
December 6th 2006, leaving a wife Fiona and a lovely family. Harry
had contacted me about this website to ask if I wanted some photos
of his father who was at Brockenhurst and sent me the photos
below.
From this we struck up a brilliant long distance
friendship between New Zealand and England and emailed each other
at least twice a week for about five years.
We had never met but he is one man that I would
dearly have loved to shake hands with. He was a caring person and
had a great sense of humour.
And I will miss you very much Harry and hope you
are at peace, you have been a good friend to me
Chris |
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| The Motor Transport Pool at No.1 General
Hospital 1917 |
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NZ Hospital, the officers quarters, in the
Balmer Lawn Hotel on the outskirts
of Brockenhurst 1917 the hotel is still in existence
today. |
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Nursing staff and
unknown NZ soldiers 1917
L - R: Sister Parkinson; Sister Sinclair; Sister Thompson; Sister
Douglas;
Sister Moore; Sister Skidd. |
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HMNZ Hospital Ship Marama
which is believed transport wounded
to England and possibly Brockenhurst |
 Harry's father (on left in photo)
was 34770, Pte George Wright, 1st
Canterbury Regt,
and was born and lived in Christchurch, NZ, and was a
patient at
Brockenhurst from about 27 June 1917 until July 1917
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| Additional information supplied by
Ken
& Pam Treanor New Zealand |
New Zealand maintained two hospital ships during WW1.
1 NZ Hospital ship "Maheno", 5282 tons. Medical/nursing
staff 7 medical
officers, 59 other ranks, 10 nurses. Capacity 340 cot
cases.
2 NZ Hospital ship "Marama" 6437 tons. Medical/nursing
staff 9 medical
officers, 66 other ranks, 27 nurses. Capacity 592 cot
cases.
Both vessels evacuated patients from, Egypt, Gallipoli,
and the UK servicing
the three NZ Hospitals and Convalescent Hospital. From
time to time they
were involved in cross channel evacuations, but their
primary role was
returning casualties to New Zealand. They had a grand
record. Whilst almost
90% of the patients at the Middle Eastern and European
ports were non
ambulant and were carried aboard on stretcher, on arrival
at New Zealand the
majority walked ashore.
Further to the "Maheno", it returned to
the trans-Tasmanian passenger service after the war until 1935 when it was
sold to Japan (would you believe) as scrap. During the tow the "Maheno"
and its tug was hit by a cyclone on the 19th of July 1935 off the
Queensland coast and the towline parted. The Maheno was driven ashore on
to Fraser Island. Queensland, where its wreck remains today as a tourist
attraction. Many who have holidayed on Fraser Island might not have
connected the wreck with the hospital ship that brought many Kiwis and
Aussies home from Brockenhurst (via Southampton) during WW1.
(Ken Treanor former curator RNAMC Museum Christchurch) |
Spr Vincent
Hobolt Peters
kindly contributed by his grand-daughter Sandra
Greig, New Zealand |
Vincent Hobolt Peters army record
states that he was at the Etaples Camp in France and
posted to the field on 19 December 1917. He relinquished his rank of Corporal and reverted
to the rank of Sapper.
On 13 July 1918 he was admitted to No2 New Zealand Field
Ambulance and two days later to
No3 Canada Stationary Hospital. On 12 July he was sent to
No1 Australian General Hospital
and two days later he embarked for the UK. Arriving on 20 July 1918 Sapper Vincent Peters was
admitted to No1 New Zealand Hospital at Brockenhurst and on 2 July 1919 was attached to the
discharge depot at Torquay in Devon.
With 217 other troops, Sapper Peters embarked from
Avonmouth on 13 September 1919,
aboard HMS Troop ship the Paparoa, under the command of
Major Gray. The ships master.
being Capt H.C.Barnes. The Paparoa disembarked at Wellington NZ on 7 Nov 1919.
10/1316 Sapper Vincent Hoboldt Peters NZ Engineers, born 30 Nov 1895 Hastings
New Zealand was discharged on 5 December
1919 no longer physically fit for war service on account of
illness contracted on active service.
He was awarded the 1914-15 Star, the British War Medal,
and the Victory Medal. He was also issued the Gallipolis Medallion Vincent Peters married
Gertrude Foot at Throop England 14 November 1918,where it is believed a New Zealand camp was set up. Gertrude was a 17 year old
nurse born 10 April 1901 Manston Dorset
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Vincent
Peters and Gertrude Foot on their
wedding day 14th November 1918
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Footnote from Ken Treanor
RNZAMC Museum, Christchurch, New Zealand
The reason why Gertude Foot does
not appear on the list of NZANS is that she was not in
the NZANS but probably in the Voluntary Aid Detachment (VAD).
These were young girls who wanted to help but had no
nursing qualifications. They worked as nurse aides to the
registered staff and can be identified in the photos as
wearing a blue uniform with fine white stripes, a full
white apron, white collars and cuffs. If they were a
nursing VAD they also had a red cross on the bib of the
apron and if from New Zealand had the initials "NZ"
in the centre of the red cross. There were a large number
of VAD employed in all the NZ Hospitals in the UK.
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Corporal Roy Gipson Millen |
Corporal Roy Gipson Millen of the
Canterbury Regiment, and was at Messines on 7th June 1917.
Corporal Millen was wounded on the 7th, and finished up at
Brockenhurst.
He was admitted to the Canadian Gen' Hospital at Etaples on 8th
June, and must have become unconscious, and shipped to England.
He woke up on a wharf, with no idea of where he was. He asked a
woman, a volunteer, in English where he was, and was told he was
on Southampton wharf.
He was admitted to Brockenhurst, and operated on a couple of times
for shrapnel in his thigh, and released about 5 July to Hornchurch
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| (forwarded by Harry Wright,
Blenheim NZ) |
And taken from the book
"Over the Top with the Best of Luck" by Julia Millen, published by
The Serpent Press in 1992, ISBN
0-9597697-4-9
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Lcpl. Allan Stevenson Horn
(Seated left) was sent to Brockenhurst Hospital after receiving a
hand injury after being shot by a German sniper. He arrived at No1
Gen Hospital on 16 June 1918 and was scheduled to take leave
on 19th to arrive back on 26th June. The medical staff decided
that he was fit to return to the front until a soldier in the next
bed mentioned that his breathing was "rattly" during the night. It
was then found he had pleurisy with effusion so was sent back to
NZ on 31st July 1918.
The photo includes a nurse who they had grabbed to sit with them.
Allan Stevenson Horn passed away in 1871 aged
76 years.
(Photo and
information kindly contributed by his daughter Helen M. Dyson,
Levin NZ) |
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