FOR WOMEN WAR ROMANCE

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 229, 27 September 1943, Page 7

FOR WOMEN WAR ROMANCE

LETTERS EXCHANGED

AN UNORTHODOX MARRIAGE (0.C.) SYDNEY, September 21. On February 16, 1940, a 23-year-old Sydney girl saw in a newspaper the photograph of a Digger on a donkey in Palestine. She wrote to him, and is now Mrs. Barry Evans, with a seven-month-old daughter. Her husband is home from the war. Mr. and Mrs. Evans corresponded for more than two years before they met. He left Australia with the first contingent, and served as a gunner in the 6th Division, A.1.P., in Greece, Crete and Libya. He sent his picture to the newspaper asking it to be printed with the following caption: "Will some Australian girl please write to this soldier?" Mrs. Evans, then a children's nurse, tossed with a fellow nurse to see who would answer this plea for mail. She won, and wrote him a friendly letter. So did 599 other women. "But," said Mr. , Evans, "I got Enid's letter first; and first in first served. "Most of the letters I received contained photographs, and they were all smiling faces, except my wife's. I said to myself, now there's a woman who'd understand a man. She didn't send kisses either, although most of the other girls did. "I exchanged friendly letters with Enid for a year, then wrote her a proposal for marriage. She cabled acceptance the same day. I cabled her money for our engagement ring. "Neither of us has for one moment regretted what must have seemed an unorthodox marriage."

PROVINCIAL COMMITTEE ANNUAL, MEETING HELD The provincial committee of the League of Mothers held its annual meeting at the Y.W.C.A. Mrs. Harvey Turner (president) was m the chair and extended a welcome to all new branch presidents and officers. , . , The reports of secretaries ancl treasurers were read and received, also reports from magazine and stationery secretaries. All reports showed increase and progress. Before vacating the chair, the retiring president (Mrs. Harvey Turner) gave a moving address, in which she expressed her appreciation of all provincial officers and all branch presidents for their co-opera-tion, which had been a .wonderful help to her in her five years of office. , , , Mrs. Utting, who was elected provincial president, spoke in eulogistic terms of the help of all provincial officers during her term as provincia secretarv. Special tribute was paid by Mrs/Utting to Mrs. Turner, Mrs. S. O. English and Mrs. F. W. White. Presentations were made to Mrs. Turner and Mrs. Utting, and floral tributes to both officers by the provincial branches. Mrs. W. V. le Petit was elected provincial secretary. Other officers were returned unopposed. A report on the state of moral laxity, prevalent in all recreational areas, particular stress being laid on the degradation of children, was read. A strong protest was voiced by all present and a request that immediate action be taken by the authorities responsible for such areas. Arrangements were made for various patriotic services by the league branches.

OBITUARY i MRS. B. A. CASSE i The death has occurred of Mrs. Bridget Amelia. Casse, of Robert i Hall Avenue, Remuera, aged 89. ; Mrs. Casse came from Ireland with i her parents, the late Mr. and Mrs. ! Robert Campbell, in the ship Oxford about 75 years ago, and had lived in Auckland ever since. She was a resident of Pajmell for many years. She is survived by two sons and , three daughters. Y.W.C.A. FAIR To raise funds to support their : work in China a fair was held by the Auckland branch of the Young Women's Christian Association in the concert chamber of the Town Hall on Friday. The representative of the Y.W.C.A. of New Zealand in China is Miss Nessie Moncrieff, who returned to that country in 1941, and was with the last group of missionaries to go up the Burma Road. Owing to not being able to take medicines and extra clothing in a plane, she refused to fly and chose the land route. The fair proved most successful, over £200 being raised. PAPATOETOE RED CROSS Since war began, members of the Papatoetoe sub-centre, New Zealand Red ' Cross Society, have been busy with various activities to raise money to supply materials for the comforts committee. This committee meets every fortnight to sew and knit, and dispatches to headquarters an average of 3500 articles per year. These include hospital needs of all descriptions, garments for distressed civilians, and handknitted garments for soldiers. The Red Cross shop is open once a month and this building, erected by voluntary labour, was presented to the branch as a gift. HAPPINESS CLUB A pleasing little ceremony took place at the military annexe when Mrs Hynes, on behalf of the combined Happiness Club gymnasium class presented a chair to the ■ returned men. Dr. Gilberd, superintendent, thanked the members for their kind thought and useful gift, which, he said, would be greatly appreciated.