Poem ~ Medical Officer Amends Myths - Thursday, 1 April 1915

Source: File: The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps encampment.jpg, 2015. Anzac Cove is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_and_New_Zealand_Army_Corps> [Accessed: 7 February 2015].

Surgeon Captain R. Withers, of the New Zealand

Medical Corps, was spending some time

On the Canterbury Plains of South Island -

With his parents, explaining some experiences.

In his return to the Dominion in the company

Of some men sent back - declared medically

Unfit for service - Surgeon Captain Withers had

Been in Egypt, where these troops were stationed.

The Captain was feeling eager to make his return

To Egypt and told of how the training of men

Had made their good physical condition - food

Provided to them was wholesome and well supplied.

Despite some small general complaints,

From certain men about the food, this was

In fact unfounded - as being a medical officer

He saw that all needs were given without luxuries.

A claim had been made how the New Zealanders,

Were of superior fitness to the Australians -

The Captain gave no agreement to this,

As Australian soldiers were well built and forceful.

The men of the New Zealand Expeditionary

Force, had taken training on Plains of Salisbury,

With Grenadier Guards - their destination France

Had been altered to Egypt - making the men unhappy.

The New Zealanders were then separated into two

Sections - into service corps and engineers.

Regarding rumors that items sent to the men

Had been sold in canteens, was also an exaggeration.

With transports arriving in Egypt, it took

Ten days to unload them - being a fairly quick

Procedure and if anything, some of those items

Had been mistakenly mixed up with canteen stores.

Additionally Captain Withers had corrected one

More fact, regarding the warrants of £1 -

Given by the New Zealand Government;

Actually had the purchasing price of 19s in Egypt.

by Jamie Mann.

Source: File: The Press: Press, Volume LI, Issue 15239, 29 March 1915, Page 8. Back From Egypt - Returned Medical Officer's Impressions -Interview With Captain Withers. [online] Available at: <http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast?a=d&d=CHP19150329.2.61> Accessed: 1 April 2015].

Mann, J., 2015. 100 years Ago - Poems by Jamie Mann. [letter] (Personal communication, 1 April 2015). 

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