“QUARTERMASTER’S STORE”

Greymouth Evening Star, 12 August 1942, Page 6

“QUARTERMASTER’S STORE”

RETIRING CHIEF’S REVIEW

RUGBY, August 11. “In four days, Russia was supplied with three million yards of greatcoat cloth, enough to stretch from the White to the Elack Sea,” said General Sir Walter Venning, QuartermasterGeneral, who is retiring after three and a-half years’ office. Describing some of the multifarious activities of the QuartermasterGeneral’s Department, he added: These activities Involved precision, storage and distribution of every commodity which the Army required, except medical stores, in order that the Army could live and fight. The military personnel of the Ordnance Corps had expanded 3000 per cent, since 1939. The close liaison between the Army and the Ministry of Food and leading scientists Enabled the Army to follow scientific development. The Army investigated dehydrated foods and boneless meat before the war, and these were now in supply to-day. During air raids, Army vehicles delivered drinking W’ater and essential foodstuffs in huge areas like London, Birmingham, and Coventry. Besides road and rail services in Britain, the Department also undertook rail construction abroad, including Libya, where 26 miles of track were laid in one week. It also built new deep-water docks in more than one part of the world capable of taking large ocean-going ships. Sir W. Venning is being succeeded by Lieutenant-General Hiddell-Web-ster, who has had much experience in India and the Middle East.