PRISONERS OF WAR

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 13 June 1942, Page 2

PRISONERS OF WAR

COUPONS FOR QUARTERLY PARCELS INFORMATION FOR RELATIVES Wellington, This Day. Next of kin of prisoners of war are notified by the Inquiry Office that coupons for clothing for the quarterly personal parcel will be available towards the end of next week. They will be sent out only with special Red Cross labels and cannot be obtained before the labels are due. Next of kin at present holding labels can, if they so desire, obtain coupons by personal or written applications to their provincial office Such labels must be sent or prod d to the Inquiry Office and they will be returned to relatives. Some comfort may be taken by those with relatives captured in the eastern war zone by the fact that one relative in Wellington has already received a message, says the office. A resident of Shanghai approached the International Red Cross delegate there with the message, and it was sent to the Inquiry Office through Geneva. The senders of extracts from letters are advised by the office not to send manuscripts they want returned. The copy has to go to the printer and keeping track of it would involve much work. FOOD AND TOBACCO PARCELS Since the packing service was undertaken by the British Red Cross and St. John war organisation more than 4,250.000 British food and tobacco parcels have gone forward as well as more than 370,000 medical and invalid food parcels. Between Ist July last and 15th February of this year the Prisoners of War Department sent 247 tons of chocolate to British prisoners of war, packed in standard food parcels and quarterly parcels sent on behalf of next of kin, each of the latter containing a half-pound slab. Excluding 18 unofficial prisoners total number now on the files is 6141.