GIFT CLOTHING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24627, 7 June 1941, Page 14

GIFT CLOTHING

LONDON RAID VICTIMS PARCELS FROM NEW ZEALAND DISTRIBUTED IN' EAST END" (OC) LONDON, May 19. A car load of parcels oi clothing from New Zealand was delivered personally by the High Commissioner (Mr _W. J. Jordan) to people in the East End oi. London who have had their homes destroyed by Nazi bombing. It has been part of the policy of the Germans to bomb the homes of the working classes, and many of their raids have been concentrated on this quarter of Lon- " Come and see," said Civil Defence Controller, when Mr Jordan asked the extent of the damage and suffering in the district. The controller is a Presbyterian clergyman, the Rev. W. W. Paton. He had a parish in Australia for seven years, and once visited New Zealand. He has been placed in charge of the Civil Defence Services in the borough, and has 5000 wardens, Auxiliary Fire Service men and other workers under his direction. Few Houses Escape

The High Commissioner drove with Mr Paton through the bombed areas. In the whole borough of 52,000 houses, not 500 escaped damage. First aid repairing was in progress at the rate of 1800 to 2000 a week. They included the covering of windows, door repairing and so on, to more extensive Work of making the buildings reasonably habitable. During the raids thousands of people sheltered under arches below the roads. In two areas, bombs demolished bridges over canals, and cut off any escape to other areas. Fire engines and outside help were cut off. Mr Paton was in this area in one of the worst raids. His 64-year-old church was wrecked and also his home. Mr Jordan saw the church, or what remained of it—part of a wall with neat yellow and brown mural markings. Mr Paton said that many of the men were carrying on as usual, and living in the area where possible so that they could work in the docks, but a large number of women had been evacuated. They had been persuaded to go. But many women had refused to go. Spirit of the People

" The spirit of the people here is wonderful," he said. "You couldn't understand it unless you lived here and saw it. They won't complain" Mr Jordan was shown one great bomb crater 18ft deep and 20ft across. Mud and clay was spattered in all directions. A school was completely wrecked, and a coster's pony carl stable had been thrown tc the top of a nearby building. "There seem to be many women in houses still where the places are habitable." said Mr Jordan. "They surely must have suffered from the bombing? " "You don't notice it in them," Mr Paton replied, " but when you are talking to them, if a door bangs, or a motor car backfires, you see them jump and a startled look comes over their faces."