CARING FOR SOLDIERS OVERSEAS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 283, 1 December 1941, Page 4

CARING FOR SOLDIERS OVERSEAS

( SPORTS GEAR IN DEMAND PATRIOTIC I I XI) BOARD OFFICER’S REPORT i.- ' - th< provision of sports gear.” wrote the .New Zealand Patriotic Fund Board’s overseas commissioner. Lieut.-Colonel F Wai’e. in a report, a copy of which [was r<ad to the Marlon Patriotic Committee. "A survey of the enor|mous numbers of troops in the Middle East disclosed tha* for British troops ! (excluding New Zealanders. Australians and South Africans* £5O 000 I worth of snorts goods was needed (Special welfare officers went by air to Jerusalem. Tel Aviv. Johannesburg iand Capetown and bought up all the [supplies. The whole continent is now absolutely bare of sports material and the demand is quite unsatisfied. 1 "Ra.-p I on the provision at base of u 5 miy mean the expenditure of about £lOOO for Ru :bv football material alone. ’Golf Material: T have been asked - . 1 approach the New Zealand Golf ’Council for a sup’lv of second-hand I clubs and balls. There is an acute j shortage of such mat rial in Egypt and although local clubs are most [generous in lending their equipment 'our men would like some equipment of their own. It is impossible to buy i 1 here. ••Twenty miles down one of the roughest desert roads in Egy pt sand* a mat n ■• th the Red Triangle ‘with the words “N.Z.Y.M.C.A.” and • N.Z. Patriotic Fund Board” below The nearest N.A A F.O. is 40 mile* away, but there, away in this isolated [snot, our boys can get almost anything thev fancy. ' “One experienced oftic r said to ime: ’You know, our fellows are the best looked after of all the armies A* soon as our V.M. get their store* on to the ground. British troops and Indians who Fad no service at all crowded in and got th ir free cup of tea and listened tn the wireless. As soon as our dental people arrived all came and bad their teeth inspected. New Zealanders ar 4 certainly well served.’ I think that sometime.' we are ant r.ot to realise that but English officers notice it. “In an attempt to eivv the front line men som° amenities, the Y.M ■ C A mobile cinema unit is doing grea’ work. A very successful system o* the men running their own canteen? regimentallv has been developed. Sun nlies ar'* obtained from the nearest NAAFI. in this case 20 miles awav In a hole in the ground the canteen is set up. The stocks vary, but one i made a note of had tinned fruits tinned peas, tinned sausages, cigarette*. tobacco, razor blades, shaving cr°am and toilet necessities. “I have supplied the three Field Ami u am es w th books of the P< nguin type and playing cards and I an* procuring them a radio each. These Field Ambulances have anything from 20 to 100 men in their tents for a few days p°r man and they get terribly weary. I have found out that four thmgs are wanted in very large quantities: <1» hooks Hike Penguins) to read and illustrated magazines: ’2) nl&ying cards; <3» as much New Zealand tobacco as they can get. and <4* footballs.”