WAR CASUALTIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24738, 15 October 1941, Page 7

WAR CASUALTIES

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE MEN NOW REPORTED SAFE FURTHER LIST OF PRISONERS (PA) WELLINGTON. Oct. 14. The following 2nd N.Z.E.F. casualty list was issued to-day:— PRISONERS OF WAR—PREVIOUSLY REPORTED 'MISSING [OTAGO] Graves, Driver John Gordon; father, Mr H. Graves, Dunedin. [OTHER DISTRICTS] Broad, Gunner Darcy; wife, Mrs O. Broad. Christchurch. Cammock. Gunner George: sister Mrs E. J Liddle, Mangere. Lusk, Staff-sergeant Newell George Butler; father, Mr N. B. Lusk, Te Kuiti. McKee, Private Richard Rowan; uncle. Mr S. H. McKee, Bealey. Mcßae, Private Colin Reginald: mother, Mrs O. Mcßae, Napier. Phllpott, Sergeant Frederick John; father. Mr F. S. Philpott, Whangarel. Reilly. Driver Edward: wife. Mrs D. E. A. Reilly. Tauranga. Watson, Private Harold James: mother. Mrs G. M. Watson, Wellington. Wyatt Corporal John Alfred: father. Mr A. A. Auckland. NOW SAFE IN 2nd N.Z.E.F. BASE CAMP (Previously reported prisoners of war) Cooper, Lieutenant Edward Frank; wife. Mrs E. F. Cooper, Auckland. Craig, Second-lieutenant James William Charles; wife, Mrs Craig, Auckland. Gadsby, Trooper William Arthur: wife, Mrs V. B. Gadsby, New Plymouth. Haycock, Corporal Francis Bertram; wife. Mrs E. R. Haycock. Ormondville. AIRMAN’S DEATH PRESUMED (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Oct. 14. The following Air Force casualty was announced to-day:— Jesson. Sergeant Wilfred George. R.N.Z.A.F., previously reported missing, and believed killed, death now officially presumed to have occurred in July; father. Mr W. G. Jesson Christchurch. PARCELS FOR PRISONERS MACHINERY IN OPERATION With the establishment of offices in the main centres, machinery designed to ensure that New Zealanders who are prisoners of war in Germany will receive their share of parcels is now in full operation. In each centre there is a Prisoner of War Inquiry Office attached to the New Zealand Red Cross and Order of St John organisation, and this attends to the interests of prisoners in the matter of parcels. The latest figures show that 2398 New Zealanders have been notified as prisoners of war. Arrangements have been made by this office for food parcels to be sent by the Canadian Red Cross for a period of three or four months to New Zealanders until the food parcels packed in New Zealand can be expected to arrive at the prison camps. Funds have already been. cabled to the Canadian Red Cross, the post of the parcels, excluding freight and insurance. being about 15s to 'ss in New Zealand currency. These food parcels cannot be sent direct to any individual prisoner of war. They go into a pool of the Red Cross at Geneva, and the International Red Cross sends them forward weekly. It is assumed that a proportion of- the New Zealand parcels will eventually reach New Zealanders. In any case, instructions have been given to t* I ' e Canadian Red Cross to place a card inside each food parcel stating that it has been contributed from New Zealand. Advice has been received from Canada that the shipping, of parcels had started this week . So far as parcels in New Zealand ait concerned, the Red Cross and St. John organisation here, in conjunction with the National Patriotic Fund Board, has already purchased food that will be delivered in Wellington in the next few davs. This consists of tinned goods—butter, cheese, coffee and milk, honey. lam. meat, and vegetables. These will he packed by voluntary workers in Wellington, and arrangements wifi be made to send 300 C parcels each week. Goods Sent to Canada Already on their way to Canada foi repacking are the following:—Twentv-one thousand tins of meat, 21,000 tins of butter. 21.000 tins of jam, 11.000 tins of coffee and milk, and one ton of chocolate in jib bars. The food parcels packed in Canada weigh Xllb when ready for despatch, and each contains 11b of butter, jam. biscuits', whole-milk powder, Boz of salmon, dried apples, prunes, sugar and eating chocolate. 12oz of corned beef, lOoz of pork and luncheon moat. 4oz each of cheese, sardines or kippers, tea. salt, pepper, and soap, and seven vitamin tablets. Evidence to hand indicates that from the end of July parcels have been arriving regularly Arrangements have been made to forward such things as games and books from England. Next-of-kin of prisoners of war are not allowed to send food, and no parcel will be accepted by the Post Office unless it has an official Red Cross label, one of which is sent to each family, along with instructions as to what to send and what not to send This work is all done by the inauiry office, which has a list of all the notified prisoners of war and their location. These next-of-kin parcels can be sent onlj- once a quarter, and when a soldier receives one he signs an enclosed acknowledgment card, which is returned to New Zealand Arrival of Parcels

Complaints have been made that parcels are not reaching the prisoners of war. In this connection the British Red Cross Prisoners of War Department announces that, during the period July 1 to 15, acknowledgments from • prison camps were received for 715,868 food parcels, 3120 tobacco parcels and 25 medical parcels. Despatched from Geneva in .this period were 102,304 food parcels, phis 18.436 food parcels from Canada, 5974 tobacco parcels and 930 medical parcels Remaining on hand in Geneva were 371.417 food parcels. 33.663 tobacco parcels', and 20,130 medical parcels. A cablegram just received from the authorities in Britain advises that large supplies of cigarettes and tobacco are stored at. Geneva, from which British prisoners, including New Zealanders receive a weekly issue. Arrangements are well in hand here to forward all cigarettes and tobacco from New Zealand to New' Zealand prisoners, and endeavours will be made to ensure that New Zealanders will receive New Zealand brands.