SUPPLIES FOR ALLIES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25238, 29 May 1943, Page 5

SUPPLIES FOR ALLIES

INDIA’S CONTRIBUTION SHIPMENTS TO NORTH AFRICA (Rec. 9 p.m.) RUGBY, May 27. The story of India's contribution in the field of supply, towards the clearance from North Africa of the Axis forces, was told to-day for the first time. ) More than 1,500,000 tons of stores, from railway wagons to landing craft, from electric torches to trouser buttons, poured into the Middle East from India in a steady stream during the long campaign that culminated in the victorious battle of Tunis. Long before the full force of American aid gave promise of victory, India was almost wholly responsible for the supply of bulk stores to the Middle East. New industries sprang up overnight to deal with the situation. Hundreds of military hospitals, and aeroplane hangars fabricated from Indian steel were shipped to the war theatre. Steel was supplied in the desert, and the total length of water pipes alone reached many thousands of miles. At one time India was solely responsible for supplying the'Middle East with t rolling stock, locomotives, trucks, sleepers, wagons, and all auxiliary equipment. Timber for jetties, packing cases, ammunition boxes, telegraph poles, and . 101 other uses came from India, while from the naval yards poured a steady flow of self-propelled landing craft. The battle of El Alamein is said to have been lyon largely through General Alexander’s use of camouflage. Ail the camouflage nets supplied by India, if stretched end to end, would loop the world eight tinves. They were made not only in large factories, but also in the homes of thousands of villagers. His Majesty’s forces, through the Middle East campaign wore clothes made in India, and to a large extent walked in boots supplied by India and slept in tents of Indian pattern. A great deal of the food they ate came from India. The tremendous list of stores supplied include over 50,000 stretchers, more than 1,000,000 blankets. 250,000 mosquito nets, 150 tons of anti-mosquito cream, 1,500,000 water testing tablets, to say nothing of 335,000 ounces of castor oil. Several times during the North African campaign when vital supplies expected from the United Kingdom and American were lost. India filled the gap. On one occasion 7000 tons of steel sheets rolled in India were shipped to the Middle East for the manufacture of anti-tank mines and enabled vast minefields to be laid, which proved so valuable during the heavy defensive fighting in Egypt last year. The safe convoying and delivery of the supplies rested entirely on Indian warships and merchant vessels.