EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 27150, 21 September 1953, Page 13

EARTHQUAKE IN GREECE

RELIEF GIVEN BY ROYAL NAVY STORES WORTH £120,000 , PROVIDED The prompt aid brought to the Vibtimfe of the earthquake disaster in the Greek islands once again showed that the Royal Navy’s value as a mercy unit in peace time is as great as its work for defence. New Zealandets, membering the help given by the Navy in the Napier earthquake, will appreciate the gratitude of the Greek people. . Ships of the Mediterranean Fleet, in the Eastern Mediterranean, the first foreign Warships td arrive at the islands, and as the full extent of the damage and the plight of the islanders became known, other ships at Malta Were ordered to embark medical supplies, doctors, and rescue and other special equipment. Until all the ships which went to the lonian Isles have reported in de* tail the quantities of Stores landed on the islands, no detailed list of the equipment supplied by the Royal Navy to devastated areas is possible, but a preliminary estimate that they are valued at £120,000 has been made. The variety of stores ranges from bulldozers to babies’ bottles. The principal items from naval sources consisted of 500 camp beds, one ton of candles, 600 hurricane lamps, 120 floodlights, six miles of electric cable. 500 picks and Shovels, 200 Saws, 800 buckets, 16 public address systems, three jeeps and tractors, twtt Water bowsers, two petrol bowsers, 2500 gallons of disinfectant, 1500 gallons of D.D.T. complete with sprayers, seven tons of lime, 4500 gallons of motor spirit, 10 tons of miscellaneous supplies, and a number of “canvdns” and metal water containers. Clothing and Comforts Clothing and comforts included 6000 blankets, 2000 sets of clothing, 5000 towels and sufficient cutlery to allow 2000 persons to eat at one sitting. The needs of babies were not overlooked —six tons of baby food and 400 babies’ bottles were supplied. Medical stores issued included 250 miles of bandages and tons of cotton wool. To assist in the rehabilitation programme, 49 Nissen huts, a bulldozer with a Maltese civilian driver, five petrol generators, Oxy-acetylene cutters, jacks, shores, wedges, tackle, an air compressor, a eeihent mixer and a large quantity of demolition stores Were landed.

The Navy also put ashore 283 tents, 200 ground sheets, 23 field cookers, 11 One-ton trucks, one three-toh motorised workshop, tWo miles of barbed wire, a bulldozer, seVeh 200gallon motor Water bowsers, three jeeps, and medical stores provided by the Army, and two bulldozers, 25 tents, and medical stores provided by the Royal Air Force. The Army and the Air Force provided drivers for all vehicles.

It is estimated that naval Working parties put afchore frdm the various ships contributed 150,000 man hours’ work to the task of rescue and rehabilitation.