COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS

Evening Star, Issue 24081, 30 December 1941, Page 4

COMFORTS FOR SOLDIERS

PATRIOTIC BOARD'S ACTIVITIES SUPPLY AND DISTRIBUTION PROBLEMS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Dec. 30. in a despatch received at tho end of last week by the National Patriotic Fund Hoard from its commissioner, Lieutenant-colonel Waite, he says tho demands made by the Libyan campaign resulted in a great scarcity of transport for bundling gift goods, and the mobile canteens which arrived with one shipment were pressed into service as supply trucks on the Alexandria run up to a Western Desert base. Another problem was storage. There was little safe storage room available. Lieutenant-colonel Waite said every effort was being made to get the parcels distributed by Christmas. The arrival of comforts at the height of the Libyan campaign, however, presented difficulties. He mentions the ease of railway and survey companies who were scattered from Tobruk to Port Sudan, Akaba, and Cyprus. Referring to the work carried out for the board by the Y.M.C.A., Lieu-tonaut-colonel AVaitc said the demands on this service would be heavy. Large free issues of cigarettes, etc., and the provision of toilet and other articles would bo required. It was probable that some of the Y.M.C.A. transport had been lost, and the service would be lucky not to have lost some of its personnel. The report states that when the New Zealand units were refitting in the Western Desert after the first phase of the battle the patriotic funds were drawn upon to meet an urgent call for fresh vegetables for 5,000 men concentrated at an advanced base. Fruit was also wanted, and 5,000 oranges were withdrawn from the rations at the base camp at Maadi, and these, with 5,000 pies, wore sent up by lorry. The vegetables purchased from the patriotic funds comprised 2,200 cauliflowers and cabbages, and about 8001 b each of tomatoes and carrots. In addition. Lieutenant-colonel Waite arranged for a truck to call at Alexandria for sufficient tobacco and cigarettes, and for other trucks to take up 5,000 gift parcels. Large stocks of toilet and shaving gear were also obtained in Alexandria. “The needs are like Greece and Crete over again,” he added.