JOY OF DUTCH PEOPLE

Waikato Independent, Volume XLIV, Issue 1189, 5 October 1945, Page 3

JOY OF DUTCH PEOPLE

ACCEPTANCE OF CLOTHING FROM WAIKATO FIRST FOR FIVE YEARS It will come as great pleasure to members of the N.Z. Red Cross Society in the Waikato to learn that their consignment of clothing to the British Red Cross for disi’ibution to needy people in Holland has been received with much joy to people in and around Nijmegen (Holland). Miss Gwen Thomas, staff welfare officer, British Red Cross Civilian Relief, wrote on August 16: “When a bale of clothes was opened this morning for distribution, your note of February 15 was found, asking that your packing committee should be told to whofn the clothes would be given. I feel sure you will be interested to know that those clothes are being given to people in and around Nijmegen (Holland), who have lost everything they possessed owing to the long and terrible fighting which occurred there, and also to others in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. I wish you could see the joy with which the Dutch people receive your gifts. For very many of them it is the first time that they have had any new clothes for five years, and the* pleasure and gratitude of the people must be seen to be really understood. We ourselves are more than grateful for your generous help.” The other letter from Miss Annie Tekelenburg read: “As a Dutch girl, working with the British Red Cross, I should like to add that I am quite certain that the Dutch appreciate your generous gesture. They will think it lovely to have warm clothes, as everything was taken by the Germans and all shop stores forwarded to Germany. Nothing could be bought, and all of it was needed so badly. Thank you very, very much on behalf of my people.”