WANGANUI MEN IN CAMP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 44, 22 February 1940, Page 4

WANGANUI MEN IN CAMP

HAVE THEY BEEN FORGOTTEN? LITTLE IN WAY OF GIFT'S A letter received by a member of the literary staff of the "Chionicle” i slates that the Wanganui men who • have enlisted for service with the ■ Second N.Z.E.F., and are now in camp ■ at Trentham, are not being as well ’ treated as men from other districts in Ihe way of gifts and other comforts acceptable to soldiers. "The Wellington West Coast Regiment seems to be a forgotten legion,” i Hie writer of the letter, a member • of the regiment, says. “Hawke’s Bay ■ are in the next lines to us and ic is rather galling to our boys to stand by and see them all issued with apples • day after day, and often peaches ■ and tomatoes as well, sent by the : Hawke's Bay people. We get noth- : ing. "One of our boys had a box of : plums sent him privately and, last : week a box of apples, which he gener- ■ ously shared out to the boys. All I ■ have seen in nearly three months is a tin of 25 cigarettes at Christmas from the Wellington Patriotic Com- 's mittee. What is wrong with Wanga- r 1 nui people? Have they forgotten all about the boys in camp? “It would make all the difference ■ to life here if they felt the people were thinking of them and sent the regiment a few extras occasionally in the way of fruit. These boys cannot be blamed if they feel that the sacrifice they have made in leaving civil life and enlisting has not been appreciated by the Wanganui people, particularly those who are .comfortably placed. Anything that can be done to make these boys feel they are part of the ’show’ will be appreciated.”