WARM COMFORTS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24525, 6 February 1941, Page 8

WARM COMFORTS

FIGHTING SERVICES BIG VOLUME OF KNITTED GOODS NAVY. ARMY. AIR FORCE More than 24,000 Balaclavas and also over 24,000 pairs of mittens as well as over 14,000 scarves have now been sent overseas for the New Zealand troops from the National Patriotic Fund Board’s goods store in Wellington to the board’s commissioner, Lieutenantcolonel F. Waite. D. 5.0., M.L.C. These warm knitted articles are the work of the women and girls of the Dominion and also of the Cook Islands. Although in themselves these figures are impressive and bear witness to the great work being done by the women folk for the armed forces, they do not give the whole picture. Apart from the fact that many of the New Zealand soldiers took away knitted goods with them and they will not all need to be supplied from the stocks sent to Colonel Waite, there are the knitted articles the Air Force Regulations organisation has supplied to the personnel of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and those which have been given through the Navy Department and the Navy League to the naval men. They have drawn on stocks held at the board’s store to augment ' those provided through their own organisations. Air Force Relations, for instance, has had 2334 Balaclavas from the store, 1155 pairs of gloves, 77 pairs of socks, 2065 pairs of mittens. 1428 scarves and 382 pullovers. In the last 12 months, however, the woollen articles issued by the organisation exceed these figures, as the following details of issues by Air Force Relations show:—Longsleeve pullovers 377, sleeveless pullovers 3114, scarves 2608, Balaclavas 2446, gloves 1304 pairs, socks 483 pairs, mittens 3272 pairs, bussifs 1511. To enable it to provide woollen goods through its own organisation. Air Force Relations is now receiving 5751 b of Air Force blue wool each month. ■For Naval Personnel A wonderful quantity and variety of knitted comforts have been distributed by the New Zealand Navy League War Council and the Navy Office, Wellington. The Navy'League War Council has sent to London a number of consignments of warm comforts for the men on the minesweepers in the North Sea, and also the Merchant Navy, and with them have gone other comforts as well. An idea of the work being done by the council in this direction may best be gained by quoting from one of these despatches, comprising 16 cases The goods included 2281 Balaclavas, 2065 scarves. 1024 pullovers (the knitting of which alone represents a great amount of work). 600 pairs of socks, 2663 pairs of mittens, 200 pairs of seaboot stockings, 59 pairs of deck gloves, 12 pairs of wrist warms, 173 caps, 80 sets of underclothes, 17 hussifs and also some body belts, chest warms, knee warms, and handkerchiefs. There was a special naval hospital parcel in the consignment, and tins of cakes, tinned fruits, ginger nuts, lollies, and other mixed foodstuffs were distributed throughout the cases. With some of the despatches have also gone parcels for the children of the minesweeper personnel. Good Work by Girls Fine work, too, has been done by the girls of the Navy Office in their limited Spare time. To each boy who has left New Zealand to join the Royal Navy or the Fleet Air Arm they have presented a handy blue bag containing a hussif. socks, Balaclava, scarf, and mittens. A small card is put into each bag telling the recipient that the bag was provided by the girls of the Navy Office, Wellington, and advising him also of the name of the girl who packed his particular bag and that the comforts were provided through the New Zealand Navy League War Council and the National Patriotic Fund Board. The card also wishes the recipient the best of luck and a safe return. The girls of the Navy Office also distribute knitted comforts to the men on the minesweepers and other naval craft operating off the New Zealand coast, as well as to ratings on merchant ships. All told, the Navy Office has distributed more than 10 000 woollen comforts, a considerable proportion of which has come from the National Patriotic Fund Board s store. That they are appreciated is indicated by the many letters of thanks that have been recer-ed. These figures give some idea of the wonderful response the National Patriotic Fund Board and the organisations associated with it have received from the women and girls of the Dominion in the provision of warm comforts for the men of the land. sea. and air services.