WELFARE WORK IN KOREA

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27443, 1 September 1954, Page 8

WELFARE WORK IN KOREA

Y.M.C.A. Service In K Force

CNJS. Army Information Service) „ KURE, August 28. No-one would guess, seeing Mr L. F. Gibbs (Christchurch), the New Zealand Y.M.C.A. representative in Korea, that he was more than 60. But his appearance belies his age. At 62 he is astonishingly spry and by far the oldest K Force man serving. Mr Gibbs, who has been in the theatre sixice last November, has a total of 23 years service, the last 13 years of which he served in the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Mr Gibbs knows welfare needs. From 50 to 60 men each evening use the reading and writing room he runs at Regimental headquarters. By this welfare hut is a games room, now being converted into a gymnasium. There is an abundance of reading material. At one time he counted 67 different periodicals and newspapers published throughout New Zealand. In

addition there are innumerable publications purchased from the United States and Britain, and a wide selection of books is available through the K Force mobile library. A popular service operated by Mr Gibbs is a mobile tea canteen. This is run in conjunction with the regi.dry canteen. Only one other Y.MU.A. representative is attached to the Commonwealth Division, and he is with an Australian infantry hattalinn