HELPING SOLDIERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 107, 7 May 1943, Page 5

HELPING SOLDIERS

LEAGUE OF WOMENFOLK SUCCESSFUL YEAR'S WORK That the membership now stood at 600 was stated in the annual report of the League of Womenfolk of the Overseas Forces which was presented at the annual meeting held in the Y.W.C.A. this afternoon. Miss E. Melville presided. Branches, the report continued, were established right throughout the Auckland Province. The league had been actively interested in the returned sick and wounded in the Military Annex, this work being carried out under Mrs. R. Allen as hospital convener. The Manurewa group had bought 100 pairs of slippers and a gramophone with 60 records, which were presented to the patients. With Mrs. F. Mcßride as convener, the vigilance committee had kept a watchful eye upon the wellbeing of men overseas and their next-of-kin and families here in New Zealand. They had dealt with such matters as increase in pay to servicemen, and allowance to wives and children; helping servicemen s widows to secure back pay, mufti allowances, family allowance, securing better housing for young mothers, investigating cases appearing in the Press, supporting army education scheme, securing as part of their apprenticeship the time spent at air bases by lads training m engineering, supporting scheme for medical and dental bursaries, securing better conditions for sick and wounded men parading at the Drill Hall, investigating complaints of infection from clothing of returned men, and inquiring into the. supply of blankets to civilians in an endeavour to secure some for needy young wives. , ,« . The league had also been active in assisting all patriotic work, and had given assistance to the Prisoner of War Society. Takapuna, Northcote and Birkenhead groups had combined in an effort to secure for the north side of the harbour a convalescent home for returned servicemen.