MIDDLE EAST HOSPITALS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24944, 17 June 1942, Page 4

MIDDLE EAST HOSPITALS

RED CROSS COMMISSIONER'S REPORT PHOTOGRAPHS OF WAR GRAVES (P.A.) WELLINGTON, June 16. The New Zealand Red Cross Commissioner in the Middle East, Major W. G. Tweedy, reporting to the Joint Council of the Order of St. John and the New Zealand Red Cross Society, says that he has managed to call at all the hospitals or depots with the exception of a Western Desert hospital, where New Zealanders are patients, and also at the port of departure where men embark on hospital ships for the trip home. Major Tweedy also states that he has visited all the cemeteries in and about Cairo and Tel el Kebir, and has inspected all the graves of New Zealand soldiers. The opportunity was taken to photograph the graves and copies have been sent to the next-of-kin. It is not considered that it will be possible to visit the cemeteries in the Western Desert, but Major Tweedy will be pleased to obtain photographs if the next-of-kin will supply the regimental number, full name and unit They should forward the information to the secretary of the War Purposes Committee, Box 139, Te Aro, Wellington. ~',_•« , „ The only items of which the hospitals are in urgent need are soap and gelatine, and arrangements are being made to send both these. There is a demand for magazines, particularly Popular Mechanics, Wide World and National Geographic and copies can be sent to the nearest St. John or Red Cross representative. . Major Tweedy has arrangements in hand for taking care of all New Zealanders, no matter in what part of the Middle East they.may be Some next-of-kin seem to have been confused by a reference in the last bulletin issued by the Prisoners of War Office by the mention of 247 tons of chocolate having been sent to British prisoners by the Prisoners of Wai Department. This refers to the London organisation, not New Zealand.