PATEA RED CROSS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 234, 4 October 1943, Page 6

PATEA RED CROSS

APPRECIATION OF WORK. (0.C.) Patea, Oct. 1. Appreciation of the work of the Red Cross Society is expressed in a letter received at the monthly meeting of the Patea Sub-centre from Chaplain Captain John Walton, Patea, who is in a prisoner-of-war camp in Germany. Thanking the sub-centre for parcels, he wrote: “I can tell you our parcels are the envy of all. I have had seven in all and pothing has gone astray. We live for mail and parcels and of your work enough cannot be .said. E. McKenna sends his greetings,” In reply to the sub-centre's request that accommodation be provided for next-of-kin waiting at Wellington for hospital ships, the Dominion secretary wrote that steps would be taken in the matter. Brigadier-General Bowerbank also wrote stating ’that the wharf where the hospital ships berthed was under American control and the adjoining sheds were used for stores. In the event of bad weather when the next ship arrived the next-of-kin would be accommodated at a clearing hospital. It was decided to ask for donations for books and magazines and illustrated papers for servicemen in the Pacific. A donation of £lO is to be made towards Chinese Relief Fund and consideration was given to aid to starving people in India, of which position further details are to be sought. Proceeds from a recent ball amounting to £4O 0s 5d had been handed to the patriotic fund, reported the secretary, Mrs. V. G. Wimsett. The treasurer of the South Taranaki Centre wrote enclosing £4 for comforts for sick and wounded ex-ser-vicemen of the last war.

Mrs. Watt, secretary of the Pri-soners-of-War Committee. wrote stating that the weight of narcels containing shirts and shorts for pri-soners-of-war had been fixed al. from 31b. to 41b. The secretary reported that the sub-centre’s quota of parcels for prisoners of war was 23. The parcels contained razor blades, khaki handkerchiefs, toothpaste, hoot polish, r having stick and nail brush. It was decided to donate goods to the value of 10s for each parcel.

Mrs. Wimsett reported the formation of a branch of the Junior Red Cross at the Convent School with a membership of 14. She had also made arrangements for the formation of a similar branch at the Patea public school. It was decided to hold a clothes drive on October 16 for the benefit of those people in European countries devasted by Germany.