PARCELS FOR PRISONERS OF WAR

Southland Times, Issue 24824, 17 August 1942, Page 4

PARCELS FOR PRISONERS OF WAR

(P.A.) WELLINGTON, August 15. Clothing coupons being issued to next-of-kin for personal parcels to prisoners of war should be in their hands by the last week of this month. They are being issued irrespective of when individual parcel labels are due, which will allow the recipients many weeks to procure wool and othert clothing before parcels are due to be sent from New Zealand. In making this announcement the Prisoners of War Inquiry Office, Wellington, states that the censoring department found this week in one parcel a cardboard box with a personal message written on the inside, also a message enclosed in a pair of boots. Next-of-kin are warned that if they attempt to hide messages in this way and the messages are not discovered by the local censor, the parcels are liable to be confiscated in Germany and Italy. Next-of-kin wishing to send an extra amount of chocolate will be given this opportunity in the next parcels. A cable this week referring to invalid comforts says the British Red Cross supplies the senior British medical officer in every camp with the necessary stocks of drugs, disinfectants and invalid foods. This is found to be preferable to sending similar articles to individual prisoners. The cable says it is unnecessary and undesirable that prisoners should write either to New Zealand or London for individual parcels.