TOBACCO FOR TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 3, 29 September 1943, Page 6

TOBACCO FOR TROOPS

Parcels For Personnel Of Detached Units PACKING UNDER WAY To provide the customary special Christmas gift from the people of the Dominion for detached units of the New Zealand Forces overseas, women voninleers and a few men have for several nights been packing in the National Patriotic Fund Board store hi Mercer Street, Wellington, opposite the public library, large-size tins with cigarettes; tobacco, and cigarette papers. New Zealanders serving in the Royal Air roree, the Royal Navy, and also Army personnel who are not with any large body ot New Zealand troops, will receive these parcels. , , , . In all 8550 tins are being packed, earn tin being filled with 18 packets ot dgurettes, six packets of tobacco, and Six packets of cigarette papers. tins will contain a total of I.abJ.OOO cigarettes, 1()2,5920z. of tobacco, ami ul.o'lO books of cigarette papers. To protect the tobacco against climatic conditions in transit, the lid ot each tin is sealed around the edges with adhesive tape. Each tin is then wrapped in strong brown paper, the overtappim, edges of which are also sealed Witt) gummed strips. There are 40 tins to a case and each case has to be wired for transport. A card bearing the following inscription is placed in each 'tin: “Tue duty you are fulfilling as a member of His Majesty’s Forces detached from toe main units makes it difficult for us to contact you as regularly as we would like. You are, however, constantly in. out thoughts, and we take this opportunity ot wishing you the compliments of the season and an early return home. May God bless you is tbc earnest prayer ot tu.j people of New Zealand. I' rom (ne National Patriotic Fund Board on behalf of the people of New Zealand. Mothers, sweethearts, and even grandmothers are among the women who have been packing these special parcels. A friendly rivalry exists -between the volunteers, the team engaged each night being out to exceed the total packed the preyp ous night. On the first two nights 1 • cases were packed each night; on the next sueuceeding nights the totals were 14, 16. 23. IS and 234. It is expected that the balance of the parcels will be packed by the end of this week. As only a limited number of packers can be accommodated nightly, others who wish to assist are asked first to ring telephone number 42-550. , In addition to these special tobacco parcels for detached personnel, provision is made through the provincial patriotic councils for the assembly of general gift parcels, of an average value of about 10/each. and these are sent once a quarter for the benefit of nil members of the New Zealand Forces serving overseas.’ It is sometimes months after the jleparture of patriotic gift parcels from New Zealand that they are received by some of the detached personnel. Transfers can be made very rapidly in the services, and if that happens after a parcel is on its way to a particular destination, nothing much can be done about it till it arrives there. However, even if a parcel has been chasing a serviceman for months, letters received by the Patriotic Fund Board show that the parcel is. just as much appreciated; in fact, with the knowledge the serviceman will have of the efforts that have been made to run him to earth his appreciation is probably the greater.