PRISONERS OF WAR

Evening Post, Volume CXXXIII, Issue 50, 28 February 1942, Page 8

PRISONERS OF WAR

PARCELS AND LETTERS

ADVICE TO NEXT-QF-KIN

The Prisoners of War Inquiry Office has ample evidence that there is still much doubt in the minds of next-of-kin regarding when they can forward on their quarterly parcels. The inquiry office again advises next-of-kin that they are entitled to post parcels as soon as they receive the special Red Cross label, irrespective of whether they have a label used when the camp address is known or the type of label to be used when the camp address and prisoner of war number is not yet known. In the latter case the label which is addressed "Charing Cross Road, London," will be attached to the parcel which will be redirected to the prisoner's camp from London. In view of recent developments, next-of-kin are again advised that they should not hold up the parcel awaiting a camp address or prisoner. of war number;

Many rumours have come to the knowledge of the office that the personal next-of-kin quarterly parcels are being held up in New Zealand. The office is in a position to state definitely that every personal parcel that has been passed through the Prisoner of War Censoring Branches in Auckland, Wellington,. Christchurch, and Dunedin had now left New Zealand.

The office has just received a cable through the New Zealand Government from the High Commissioner in London, to the effect that letters , and statements from people in New Zealand suggested, that food parcels which were sent to friends and relatives in England could be forwarded by them to prisoners of war. The High Commissioner states that several of such parcels have already been received. He also advises^that as the information is entirely incorrect, it should be contradicted and next-of-kin immediately advised. The office again advises next-of-kin that as they now have ample evidence in the form of letters that prisoners are receiving Red Cross food parcels every week, they should not hamper the work of the organisation overseas by endeavouring to send additional parcels of food. DELIVERY OF LETTERS. As many next-of-kin make anxious inquiries regarding correspondence to and from prisoners of war, the office can only advise that they should be patient and realise that whereas some mails are delayed, others go through very quickly. The following extracts from letters bear out these facts:— Letter from P.O.W. at Stalag XVIIID. dated 26/11/41: "I have now had 24 letters—one of yours took only 23 days to arrive." Letter' from Stalag XVIIID, dated 18/11/41: "I, have received your two letters, dated August; i have also had four other letters from friends. We are not short of food; have had eleven Red Cross parcels and at present am getting them each week, also soap and cigarettes. We observe normal working hours, and as a rule have Saturday afternoons and Sundays free. A library has been instituted with a fair supply of good books and more to come." Letter from Gflag VIB, dated 25/10/41: "Your letter dated July 28 received October 7. We are now receiving weekly Red Cross food parcels and cigarettes. Accommodation comfortable and quite good. I am taking writing, mathematics, and learning German and French; am paid 27 marks every ? ten days. This is about 2Gs. Camp canteen sells odd things and occasional food, which supplements the rations." The numbers of prisoners officially on the files are:—Army, 5545; Air Force, 121; Navy. 7; merchant seamen and civilians, 26; miscellaneous. 23; unofficial, 120; total, 5842.

Next-of-kin are again advised that the moment a man is officially notified as a prisoner of war, the High Commissioner's Office in London also receives such information, and in conjunction with the New Zealand War Services Association they immediately forward'the first quarterly next-of-kin parcel: also, on account of the time taken for those parcels to reach Geneva from New Zealand, they also forward the second quarterly parcel; so -hat the first parcel sent from New Zealand is actually the third received by the prisoner.