MEN BY ORION

Evening Post, Volume CXL, Issue 59, 7 September 1945, Page 9

MEN BY ORION

PATRIOTIC SUPPLIES

DISTRIBUTION DETAILS

The reference made by the master of the Orion to the issue of patriotic comforts to the New Zealand Service personnel who returned by this ship was elaborated yesterday by the Acting Secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board, Mr. A. H. Gibson. He .said it was the practice not only to ' supply drafts returning to New Zealand with patriotic goods, but also to give the officer in charge of each dratt a sum of money for the purchase of additional comforts and amenities. That had been done in the case of the Orion draft, and he had received today a report from Lieut.-Colonel R. G. Webb, O.C. of the draft. The report showed that Lieut.-Colo-nel Webb was given a grant of £450 from patriotic funds, and that it had been expended in the following purchases:—Foodstuffs, £137 6s 6d; cigarettes, £247 15s; tobacco, £57; reading ■ materials and games, £1 15s; hospital comforts, £6 3s 6d. In addition to the goods purchased with the £450. the draft had been ■ supplied with the following patriotic 1 goods:—36o,ooo cigarettes, 30 cases : boiled sweets, 20 cases cake, 2 gross playing cards 30 cases wrapped toffee, ■25 cases barley sugar, 10 cases bis- ; cuits, two cases books, and also writing l material. ; DETAILS OF ISSUES. In his report Lieut.-Colonel Webb gave details of issues and when the issues were made. The following was 1 a typical issue: August 17: 50 cigarettes ' and lib sweets per man and 71b bis--1 cuits per mess table, together with a ' £lb tin of jam. 5 Details of these issues were promul--1 gated from time to time in routine \ orders. The distribution report, signed ;by Lieut.-Colonel Webb and Mr. R. 1 Thornton, New Zealand V.M.C.A. secretary, concluded: "Altogether we had a very nice trip, and many thanks 1 to the National Patriotic Fund Board for the comforts. Everyone much appreciated this very fine gesture. As the men disembarked we made an issue of a -|lb block of chocolate for the train journey." The only suggestion made by Lieut.Colonel Webb was that as there was no tea on the ship's menu for the midday meal cordials (ships' limejuice in particular) should be included in the comforts supplied to subsequent drafts. He also suggested that owing to the shortage of fruit at Panama tinned fruit and additional cake could be included. _______^__