“INSULT TO INJURY”

Otago Daily Times, Issue 26848, 12 August 1948, Page 6

“INSULT TO INJURY”

2nd N.Z.E.F. ASSOCIATION VIEW P.A. WELLINGTON, Aug. 11. In a statement issued to-day, Mr R. Childs, secretary of the Wellington branch of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association, said: “ The New Zealand Returned Services’ Association has already proved itself no friend to the J Force, and that organisation’s decision to ‘give every encouragement, assistance and advice’ to the J Force men in the formation of an organisation of their own is merely adding insult to injury. It is also quite superfluous, since the J Force already has an efficient and live organisation of its own—the 2nd N.Z.E.F? Association. As returned men in their own right, all ranks of the J Force have been invited to join their comrades of the 2nd N.Z.E.F. Association. We young men of the Second World War are pledged to fight for J Force rehabilitation rights as we would for our own. “ Following so closely upon the studied affront when J Force men were ignominously rejected from R.S.A. membership, this recent offer by the R.S.A. is scarcely likely to deceive anyone. I feel that the R.S.A may well rest assured that' J Force men will not agree to accept the course followed by the home servicemen nor will they accept any gratuity from an organisation which has already dealt them grievous and unwarranted injury.”