SOLDIERS’ WELFARE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25306, 17 August 1943, Page 4

SOLDIERS’ WELFARE

WORK IN MIDDLE EAST NEW ZEALAND FORCES’ CLUB " The New Zealand Forces’ Club in Cairo has done a really good job of work In making a home for our boys overseas, ’ said Major M. D. Harvey in an address last night in the R.S.A. Social Hall. Major Harvey served in the campaigns in Greece and Crete, and after acting as manager of the New Zealand Forces’ Club for a year, rejoined the forces and is now home on furlough. The club is situated in a 13-storey building, which is the second biggest building In Cairo, Major Harvey stated. It occupied several floors, on which shower rooms, dining rooms and kitchens had been constructed. A sum of £4OOO had been put aside to restore the building when it was vacated by the New Zealanders. The staff consisted of 60 army personnel, 40 members of the W.A.A.C., who had since been augmented by another 10 members, and more than 200 natives. In addition, there were 16 voluntary workers, European women who had been giving their services for the past two years. At peak periods, some 4000 cooked meals were served in a day in the men's dining room, and there were also dining rooms for officers, warrant officers and sergeants, each with a separate kitchen staff. There were three writing rooms, and these were in use from the opening of the club in the morning until it closed In the evening. , „ There was a very good library, and a post office which was run by army personnel, Major Harvey said. One of the largest counters was occupied by an information bureau—at which a soldier might book seats for the theatre, arrange a tour, or obtain information on various subjects. There were rest rooms for the sisters, V.A.’s, and members of the W.AA.C., and also a common room. At a merchandise canteen, a number of New Zealand items could be bought. In one week 12,000 two-ounce tins of tobacco naa been sold at the cigarette counter, and in one month they had sold just on 1,000,000 cigarettes. Something like 3000 oranges were used in a day for pure orange drinks, and some 60 gallons of icecream were sold every day. As an indication. of the use that was made ,of the hot shower room, he mentioned that the club paid £2OO a month surcharge on hot water alone. The hostelry consisted of 107 beds for the army personnel, 28 for officers, and there was a small section for nursing sisters. The club had been started, he said, by means of a grant of £ISOO from the National Patriotic Fund Board, and since then it had been entirely self-supporting. At the present time it was catering for New Zealanders alone, and was just about managing to hold its own. The majority of the club staff had served m at least two campaigns, and for the past two years some of the members had been working 14 hours a day for seven days a week. Major Harvey spoke of other aspects of welfare work in the Middle East, and at the conclusion of his address he showed a number of films of civilian life in the Middle East.