NOTHING WASTED IN THE ARMY

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25240, 19 July 1947, Page 6

NOTHING WASTED IN THE ARMY

NEW USES FOUND FOR OLD EQUIPMENT

Nothing is thrown away by the Army. That is one claim made by the staff of the ordnance depot at Burnham. Blankets become worn out, but they are then cut into four parts and sold as polishing rags for use in Government buildings. When felt hats are too shapeless to wear they are sent to Dunedin, where former servicemen make them into felt slippers. All clothing handed in by servicemen is examined at the depot at Burnham, and it is sorted into grades according to its condition. Clothing in good order is cleaned and stored ready to issue again to soldiers. If clothing needs repairing it is sent to Trentham, repaired, and put back in circulation. Denims are sometimes cut down to make shorts. When clothing is past recovery it is sold to manufacturers for flock. Bales of underclothing, boots and shoes have been sent from Burnham to China, Poland, and Greece through UNRRA. Since the end of 1939 more than 60 tons of bullet cases have been recovered. These spent bullet cases are worth more than £4O a ton. Thousands of overcoats are held in store for examination and cleaning before being sold, but the work is held up because of lack of staff. The coats stacked in the store are turned periodically and mothballs spread generously among them. No one person in the Army has authority to say any article is to be discarded. A board of survey, composed of three members, decides whether any article is to be destroyed, sold, or put back into use by the Army.