GENEROUS HOSTS

Dominion, Volume 34, Issue 85, 4 January 1941, Page 11

GENEROUS HOSTS

New Zealand Soldiers’ Gratitude ENGLISH HOSPITALITY The following letter from a grateful New Zealand soldier appeared in the London “Times” on November 28 last: One of the pleasures I had promised myself while in England was to write to the editor of “The Times,” and believe me it gives an added zest to this when the subject of this letter is regarding the almost overwhelming hospitality shown to us New Zealanders from people all over Great Britain. I might almost say that the kindness you have shown us is responsible for most of the appearances “on the mat” that we Enzedders have made since our arrival. Back in New Zealand every one of us, irrespective of our parents’ nationalities, refer to England as “Home, and Home it certainly has been. Because, no doubt, of your trait of understatement, we fellows had pictured British folk as reserved to the point of suspiciousness, but, sir, we find that insofar as we are concerned you display an abandon and hospitality almost Continental in its fervour. During the last few weeks I have read or heard of innumerable appeals by the Lord Lieutenants of counties and people in similar positions all over the country asking people to look after all troops during the coming winter. Speaking for myself both as a representative of H.M.’s N.Z. Forces and personally, I can assure you that these pleas are unnecessary. I am sure our hosts would hate to do Hitler a good turn by immobilizing us through a surfeit of the fleshpots during the winter. . I cannot finish without saying that thanks to the glorious summer we had after arriving in mid-June, we. were through a combination of circumstances which it would be unnecessarily indiscreet to mention here, able to see much of the South of England in all the glory of a true English summer. London, of course, was the realization of the dreams of most pf us. and we have been lucky enough to see it in tiie summer before the “black-out” and the blitzkrieg bad dimmed its radiance. My one wish is to bo in England on the first Victory night, when a new word will be coined to displace Mafficking” and all its connotations. And now T would like to wish you, your paper, and your readers, and all our hosts and hostesses, “Kia Ora’ mid thanks. —Yours, etc., JOHN O’NEILL (Pte.), 2nd N.Z.E.F.