TONS OF GIFTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 15, 18 January 1940, Page 8

TONS OF GIFTS

COMFORTS FOR THE RJI.F.

KNITTING NEEDLES BUSY

(By Air Mail, from "The Post's" London Representative.)

LONDON, December 22.

During a tour of the headquarters of the R.A.F. Comforts Fund, BerkeleySquare, Sir Kingsley Wood (Air Minister) saw how voluntary workers are acting as sorters and packers at this miniature.G.P.O., where thousands of parcels arrive every week. In addition to money, gifts sent to the fund range from knitted pullovers, mittens, helmets, and scarves, to wireless sets, playing cards,1 food, and books. Lady Newall, wife of the' Chief of the Air Staff, who is one of the members of the Committee of Helpers, and Air, Commodore Oxland, chairman of the fund, showed each department to Sir Kingsley, who' was accompanied by Sir Edward Campbell, M.P., his Parliamentary Secretary^ Each day about 1200 parcels are received. : Since the fund was started nine weeks ago a total of 52 tons of items had been dispatched to France, and 40 tons to home units from the Berkeley Square headquarters. Gifts have included 436 wireless sets to France, and 561 to home stations, of which 836 were provided by Lord Nuffieldi Other items were 3,000*000 cigarettes to, France, 12,000,000 to home stations, 10,000 games, 53,000 tins of chocolates and sweets, 30,000 books and magazines. Altogether 47,000 woollen garments had been received, and more were coming in at the rate of 3000 a day. "All this has been possible," stated Sir Kingsley^ "owing to the generosity of the public and the valuable assistance which has been given by voluntary helpers, who have been working very long hours. We have also 500 registered knitting parties in various parts of the country^ and one of our biggest problems will be to keep them supplied with wool/ but we hope to be' able to do this if gifts of money are forthcoming."