RETURN FROM ALBANIA

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26531, 5 August 1947, Page 2

RETURN FROM ALBANIA

FORMER W.A.A C OFFICER After spending nearly two years m Albania as director of administration services and personal officer for UNRRA, Miss Meryll Neely returned to New Zealand on the Rimutaka lest week. Miss Neely first left New Zealand six years ago as W.A.A.C. officer in charge of the first group of Tuis bound for service in New Zealand forces' clubs overseas and while in Italy she was offered the po_-t with' UNRRA. She took up her new post in August. 1945. after her release from the army. Miss Neely worked at UNRRA's headquarters in Tirana, where the staff was made up of about 35 British and American workers, and some 65 subordinate Albanian employees. Two other former Waacs who were on the staff as secretaries were Miss Elaine Riley, of Hunterville (who also returned by the Rimutaka) and Miss Nancy Baldwin, of Christchurch, who is remaining in England Five cxKiwis were also on the staff. Albania described by Miss Neelv as pretty, mountainous and having a moderate climate, had no railways, she said and the roads were atrocious. The population. most of which was peasant, nad suffered greatly, first under the Italians, and then the Germans. The people ? staple diet was black bread, and they had been grateful for UNRRA’s help which had included wheat, cattle, farm implements and machinery and medical supplies .. Clothes of excellent quality cure silk were obtainable, but no shoes or woollens Language difficulties were overcome by speaking French or Italian and her proficiency in both these languages was acquired as a result of constant use. Albanian was a difficult tongue traces of Turkish-Arabic words resulting from the times when Albania was under Turkish rule for 300 years.