AMENITIES FOR SOLDIERS

Press, Volume LXXX, Issue 24237, 20 April 1944, Page 3

AMENITIES FOR SOLDIERS

KIWI CLUB IN NEW CALEDONIA HEADQUARTERS BUILDING COMPLETED (N.Z.E.F. Official News Service) NEW CALEDONIA, April 17. Situated on the foreshore of Bourail Beach and overlooking a wide sweep of New Caledonia’s most picturesque bay, a new building has come in'to being. Headquarters of the Kiwi Club, its purpose is to provide as far as possible some of those amenities enjoyed by soldiers on leave in other theatres of war. Because of the difficulties surrounding the manufacture of prefabricated parts for huts and the shortage of shipping space, it was decided to erect the Bourail Club as a native-type , building. The Anzac Division of the British War Relief Society in New York has materially assisted in making the venture possible, and furnishings of all kinds have been collected in New Zealand by the National Patriotic Fund Board. The club will cater for thousands of New Zealanders on leave, and when completed it will provide accommodation for parties of 200 to 300 soldiers of all ranks at one time. Prefabricated huts have been provided by the Army, and these have been placed in the cool shade of trees and native fern. Amusement Facilities In the clubhouse there is a dining room designed to seat 150 at a single sitting. A large hall with an excellent dancing floor is provided, together with full stage facilities for concerts, and suitable areas for indoor games of all kinds. Ultimately facilities will be available for screening moving picture programmes either indoors or outdoors. Tennis coifrts are under construction in an open space at the rear of the clubhouse, and boatsheds have been erected to house four yachts of the popular Frostbite class provided by the National Patriotic Fund Board. To add to the safety pf bathing in the rolling surf, which is one of the glories of Bourail Beach, arrangements have been completed for the various surf clubs associated with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Pacific to be in daily attendance. The staff of the club will comprise the personnel of the Kiwi Company and the N.Z.W.A.A.C., more than 40 of whom assist in providing for the comfort of the servicemen. These girls are under the supervision and direcn tion of Senior Commander G. V. M. McClure (Christchurch) and Junior Subaltern D. M. Paltridge (WellingThe club will be supported entirely by the National Patriotic Fund Board and will be under the management of Lieutenant H. B. Lubransky (Wellington), who, in addition to the W.A.A.C. personnel, will have under his control a staff of male assistants. Opening Ceremony “This club sees the completion of a programme envisaged by Major-Gen-eral Barrowclough when the force came to New Caledonia in 1942,” said Brigadier W. W. Dove, of Auckland, at the official opening of the club. Brigadier Dove paid a tribute to the work of the W.A.A.C.’s. and intimated that additional W.A.A.C.’s would be brought to New Caledonia. Mr Ernest Brooking who, with the Hon. Vincent Ward, represented the New Zealand National Patriotic Fund Board, said the public of the Dominion had responded handsomely to provide money for the board’s activities. The club was something new, inasmuch as it was going to provide a day or two of rest from camp environment, and away from the trying climate of the tropics in which the New Zealanders had fought. Referring to the W.A.A.C.’s, Mr Brooking said: “We will send over an other ‘division,’ and I hopq there wfll be enough to go round when you have a little party here.” Mr Ward said the 3rd New Zealand Division had played its part in the world war. “If the division had not been here the Japanese would have taken this island, which is only 1000 miles from the Dominion, and New Zealand would not be in the position of safety that it enjoys to-day. This is fully appreciated by the people of New Zealand, who realise the importance of New Zealand and Allied troops .being in the Pacific,” said Mr Ward.