FULL DATA GIVEN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20568, 30 May 1941, Page 9

FULL DATA GIVEN

WOUNDED’S FAMILY RELATIVES' INQUIRIES LETTERS FOR PRISONERS PROVISION FOR DESPATCH (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, this day. An assurance that when a casualty to a member of the New Zealand forces overseas was reported, all the information received by the military authorities was given to the next-of-kin at once, was made by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. The Minister added that further inquiry at this stage would serve no useful purpose. Mr. Jones’ statement was prompted by the many inquiries being received concerning wounded soldiers. The next-of-kin and others, said the Minister, wanted to know the nature of the wound, which hosiptal the soldier was in and how letters should be sent to the wounded.

Very often, said Mr. Jones, the nature of the wound could not be stated because it was unknown and for security reasons the hospital the soldier was in could not be stated. The addressing of letters to wounded soldiers involved no variation in the present practise of writing to a soldier who was in the Middle East or another theatre of war. Letters should be addressed in the usual way whether or not the soldier was in hospital.

Rules to be Observed

Regarding the sending of letters to prisoners of war, Mr. Jones emphasised that the instructions issued by the Postmaster-General, the Hon. P. C. Webb, should be observed. These stated that letters and postcards for surface despatch were accepted for prisoners of war free of postage, but if the air-mail services were used the appropriate air-mail charge must bo paid in full. Each letter must bear on the back of the cover the name and address of the sender and on the top left-hand corner should appear “prisoner-of-war post.” If a letter were addressed to a prisoner of war in German hands the German equivalent, “kriegsgefangenepost” must appear underneath and if the prisoner were in Italian hands, the words, ’’sevice des prinsonniers de guerre. ’ The address must be in ink and also on the letter enclosed and if the place of internment is known it should be given. The instructions also provide for letters being limited to one sheet of paper written on both sides. _ The Minister also mentioned several points regarding letters and parcels to war prisoners, and said the question of sending money to them was being investigated.