PRISONERS OF WAR

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23995, 19 June 1941, Page 10

PRISONERS OF WAR

INFORMATION BUREAU COMMITTEE APPOINTED The formation of a prisoners of war bureau in Auckland under the aegis of the joint council of the Order of St. John and the Red Cross Society was agreed on at a meeting of the Auckland Provincial Joint Committee last night. The chairman. Sir Ernest Davis, and Messrs. G. T. Patcrson and D. F. Mack ay were appointed a sub-commit-tee with power to co-opt four members. The sub-committee will be kept informed from headquarters in Wellington as to prisoners of war from its district, according to a statement by Major J. Abel, treasurer of the Dominion Council, anil its expenditure will be met from the Sick, Wounded and Distress Fund. Outlining the steps already taken, pending the opening of the bureau, Major Abel said they had cabled the British and the International Red Cross in Geneva for help, and had also enlisted the help of the Australian Red Cross, which had men in the field, to trace New Zealand prisoners of war. The bureau would work on similar lines to those which would be set up in the other three centres, and would take care of the forwarding of parcels to soldiers in internment camps. A list containing the names of 1000 prisoners of war had already been compiled at Geneva and was being forwarded to New Zealand, Sir Frnest Davis said he was confident that the bureau would be of the utmost value. For some time now the Red Cross had been giving information regarding prisoners of war. but that service would , now be extended.