LADY LIVERPOOL FUND.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXV, Issue 8304, 24 November 1915, Page 2

LADY LIVERPOOL FUND.

DISTRIBUTION OF GIFTS

SUGGESTIONS BY LIEUTENANTCOLONEL CHARTERS.

The following letter has been received by her Excellency, the Countess of Liverpool, from Lieutenant-Colonel A. B. Charters, officer commanding the New Zealand Base Depot, Alexandria: " I have tho honour to notify you that the gift goods forwarded by the Maheno were duly collected, and are now gradually being distributed. Unfortunately,, just as the goods -arrived, our forces suffered vory severe casualties, and it has been most difficult to (trace many of the men for" whom personally addressed parcels have been sent, and I do not send out such parcels on any off-chance. All units at present in Egypt have had their gifts I handed to "them, and those -at the front ai'o receiving them as quickly' as their requisitions come in.

"Owing to our 'heavy losses it was simply waste to think of sending over to Anzac 1000 gifts per battalion when such unit could muster only 200 men — the goods not. immediately issued would simply have been destroyed by enemy's shells or wasted iri'other .ways. ConsG« quejtitly I sent a circular to each commanding officer of company, fete., asking him to let me know the number ofmen left in his.unit from 'different districts. Here was delay again, as the fighting wns so heavy that I have not yet received replies from all officers written to. However; as these arrive they arc immediately-'.attended to. •