PRISONERS OF WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 114, 16 May 1942, Page 6

PRISONERS OF WAR

PARCELS CLEAR PORTS

ADVICE TO RELATIVES

Every case of food parcels aria cigarettes destined for New Zealand prisoners of war has cleared all ports, and even the latest consignments should v either have reached their destination or be very close. This was announced today by the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office headquarters, which also stated that prisoners on the files now number 6121, excluding 35 prisoners who have not yet been officially notified as such.

Next-.of-kin are advised that immediately an official parcel, label is received from the office they are at liberty to forward their parcel. No dates by which parcels must be posted are fixed, but it is obviously to a prisoner's disadvantage if relatives unnecessarily withhold a parcel. There is no delay in the censoring and repacking of the parcels at the various depots, and the withholding of a parcel by relatives for only a few days might mean missing a ship going overseas, .:.; When relatives are communicating with the office much, delay and unnecessary work would be saved if the full name and camp addressr .(when known) of the. prisoner regarding whom the inquiry is made were supplied.

Dressing gowns and any kind of footwear may be included in parcels. Next-of-kin have often complained of the changing instructions regarding what can or cannot be sent, and the position of khaki shirts explains why instructions have varied. The International Red Cross has confirmed that khaki shirts could not previously be sent to war prisoners in Germany, as it was thought they might be worn without coats in summer and that they would then look too much like the clothing worn by German civilians. At that time it was recommended that only shirts of a material that would not normally be worn without a coat should be sent. Representations were again made, and finally the German authorities agreed to khaki shirts being allowed.