TOUR OF COAST

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20620, 22 November 1941, Page 4

TOUR OF COAST

AUTOMOBILE OFFICERS PART IN WAR EFFORT Officials of the Automobile Association (Auckland) have just concluded a tour of the East Coast districts, and the vice-president, Mr. H. W. Bullock, and the child safety instructor, Mr. S. Ringer, have addressed meetings in Te Araroa, Ruatoria, Te Puia, and Tokomaru Bay. Mr. Bullock stated to-day that, despite the war, the membership of the association had increased from 33,000 at the start of hostilities t, nearly 36,000 to-day. Nearly 2000 members were on active service, and injure than 20 had made the supreme sacrifice. Twe.lve of the staff had joined the forces, while the assistant engineer, Lieutenant V. Wilson, had died of injuries received overseas, and Mr. John Culpan, of the touring department, a pilot in the Royal Air Force, was now a prisoner of war in Germany. With its specialised knowledge of roads, and communications, the touring department had been of great help to the army intelligence section, and the touring manager, Mr. R. F. Champtaloup, was intimately connected with the Army Department and Home Guard in regard to the preparation of maps. The technical engineering department also had conducted classes for training women in the mechanical preparation of heavy vehicles. Mr. Ringer demonstrated the A.A. method of imparting road safety knowledge to children, and gave a typical safety-first commentary during the screening of a special film designed for that purpose.

At each meeting of the association’s coloured motion pictures depicting travel overseas were screened.