Comforts for Prisoners in Germany

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 209, 3 September 1941, Page 2

Comforts for Prisoners in Germany

JT.Z. ORGANISATION LONDON, Aug. IS. A special department has now been established at New Zealand House under Mr C. B. Burdekin for keeping in contact with some 4000 to 5000 New Zealanders in German prison camps, where they have been transferred since they were captured in Greece and Crete.. Premisfs have been taken in Charing Cross road, where parcels will be made up and posted by the Red Cross next-of-kin parcel section. So far, information, has been received of the definite addresses of only 100 New Zealanders, of whom 70 are officers, but it is known that the majority of the men have been, or are still being transferred to Germany. Others are still at the Kokinia Hospital in Greece. At the present time the department at New Zealand House is under Government direction, the New Zealand Red Cross in London, of which Colonel Bernard Myers is in charge, having no facilities for undertaking the work. This arrangement may, however, be modified if sufficient voluntary workers can be found to establish a complete Red Cross organisation for the purpose. The department is recording every fact about each man as it becomes available. Lists are being compiled from information received from the New Zealand Record Offices at Wellington and Cairo, from the Red Cross, from German broadcasts and from relatives in Britain who may have heard directly. The office in Charing Cross road will be known as the New Zealand Red Cross Packing Centre. It will handle parcels which it Ts anticipated will shortly be arriving from the Dominion. They should not exceed 91b in weight, and preferably should not include articles which have to be imported from Britain, such as razor blades. It is intended that these, ana other articles, will be added -by the Red Cross in London to make up the 111 b allowed by the British Post Office. Next-of-kin parcels may be sent to each prisoner every quarter, but only one may be sent to each man. It is therefore desirable for relatives and friends in New Zealand to combine to send one big parcel rather than to send a number of small ones, which will only have to be combined in London, and reduced to the requisite weight. At present it takes about 10 weeks for a parcel to reach a German prison camp from London. This, together with the time required for the parcel to reach London from New Zealand should be taken into account when such presents as underclothing ara sent. Parcels are not -being despatched direct to the men in the Kokinia or other hospitals. They go first to Geneva, where inquiries are made whether the man has left the hospital and moved on to a German camp. With regard to the sending of food parcels, it is suggested, in view of the desirability of conserving food supplies in Britain, that the New Zealand Government undertake the provision of the supplies commensurate with the number of New Zealand prisoners. The High Commissioner has discussed with the British and Canadian Red Cross the possibility of_ New Zealand sending tinned meat and other New Zealand products to Canada. The supply would be used for Canadian as well as New Zealand ‘requirements, and the Canadians would add other of their own products in making up parcels on behalf of New Zealand. It would not be possible to ensure that these parcels will go to New Zealand prisoners. They will go into the common pool at Geneva from, which all British prisoners are supplied.