“MAADI TENT”

Evening Star, Issue 26087, 29 April 1947, Page 8

“MAADI TENT”

DISTRIBUTION OF SURPLUS SUBSTANTIAL ALLOCATION TO DOMINION (P.A.) AUCKLAND, April 28. AH New Zealanders who served in the Middle East will remember with affection and gratitude the ladies of Maadi and the “ Maadi Tent ” which, after six years of splendid service, has closed down. Although the “ Maadi Tent ” did not aim at making a profit, it did, like all well-run centres with voluntary and unpaid staff, accumulate certain funds which it now wishes should be utilised for the benefit of those service men and service women for whom they worked during the war yeans. Early in January last the GovernorGeneral, Sir Bernard Freyberg, received a letter from Mr N. W. A. Crawford, president of the Maadi Recreation Tent Committee, stating that at a meeting held recently the committee of the Maadi Tent decided on the distribution of a surplus amounting to a little over £13,000. It was ananimously agreed that £6,000 should be allocated to New Zealand, to be made use of at Sir Bernard’s discretion for the welfare of ex-service-men of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. and for the widows and children of men who were killed or permanently disabled due to war service in the theatre of war. This communication was forwarded by His Excellency to the Prime Minister. Mr Fraser, and on the recommendation of the Dominion executive of the Returned Services’ Association the following committee was set up to undertake the allocation of the fund: —Chairman, the Governor-General; committee, Major-general H. K. Kippenberger and Colonel K. AV. R. Glasgow. After careful consideration the committee decided upon the allocation of the amount —£7,500 in New Zealand currency—as under: — St. Dunstan’s (Auckland) Home for Blind Ex-servicemen ... 1,000 Disabled Servicemen’s Re-estab-lishment League for allocation to all branches pro rata 2,000 Heritage, N.Z. (Inc.) ... ... '3,500 N.Z.R.S.A. welfare trust funds 1,000 A condition was made _ that the money should be spent as directed by the Maadi committee. Before Sir Bernard Freyberg leit the Middle East on giving up his command, he went specially from Italy to Cairo to be present at a memorial service at the New Zealand AVar Graves ; Cemetery at Alamein on November 10, ; 1945, arid on the previous day a re- j ception was held in the New Zealand j Forces’ Club in honour of the staff, of the “ Maadi Tent,” when Sir Bernard ; thanked them, on behalf fo the 2nd j N.Z.E.F. and the people of New Zealand, and presented to each a letter I of thanks embossed and signed by the j Prime Minister on behalf or the people of New Zealand, and by himself on behalf of the 2nd N.Z.E.F.