PICNICS IN EGYPT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 218, 13 August 1940, Page 7

PICNICS IN EGYPT.

RELAXATION FOR TROOPS. RELIEF FROM HEAT. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Aug. 12. The following has been received from the N.Z.E.F. Official News Service in Egypt, dated July 22: — Weekly picnics which in a sense must be the strangest ever known have been inaugurated for members of the first contingent of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Egypt. The purpose of the picnics, which are held in surroundings of trees, gardens, and green lawns, is to enable the men to relax under conditions completely different from those of their desert camp. Because war observes no holiday, however, arms and ammunition must be carried by every soldier attending the picnics. Thus the incongruous spectacle of stacked rifles, machineguns, and mounted anti-aircraft guns is seen in the peaceful parks and gardens in which the outings are held as a relief from the heat and glare of the desert. Stretches of turf and clumps'of shady trees have enhanced the attraction for many members of the force who are content to stretch themselves on the grass and pass the time dozing, reading ,and even writing letters. Two picnic sites, however, are popular sightseeing places at which much of interest is to be seen. One of these is the Cairo Zoo and the other the irrigation works on the River Nile. Light lunches are taken by the picnic parties when the outing occupies a full day, and soft drinks are provided by the Now Zealand National Patriotic Board.