RECEPTION TO LADY DILL ON ARRIVAL AT WANGANUI

Wanganui Chronicle, 4 February 1948, Page 4

RECEPTION TO LADY DILL ON ARRIVAL AT WANGANUI

GRATITUDE EXPRESSED FOR FOOD PARCELS The gratitude with which people in Britain received parcels of food and clothing from New Zealand was described by Lady Dill, widow of the late Field Marshal Sir John Dili former Chief of the Imperial General Staff, when she was the guest at a reception in the Rutland Hotel Lounge last night. Lady Dill said that she had seen people weep with Joy when receiving food parcels and others so overcome with gratitude when being issued with clothing that they could not express their thanks in words. “It was very touching and if you could have seen it you would have felt rewarded for your hand work and generosity,” Lady Dill added. Lady Dill, who was wearing tha uniform of a lieutenant-colonel and vice-president of the British Red Cross, arrived at Wanganui last evening from Waitomo and was the guest at a reception arranged by the Wanganui Red Cross Centre and the Wanganui branch of the Returned Services’ Association. Accompanying Lady Dill on the New Zealand tour are her daughter, Miss Sonia Furlong, and her secretary, Miss M. Hennell. Voluntary Aid Detachments of the Red Cross and their officers paraded in uniform last night, the V.A.D.’e forming a guard of honour at the entrance to the Rutland Hotel. Associated with the reception was the Women’s Section of the Wanganui R.S.A. Mr. W. D. Young, president of the Wanganui R.S.A. and also the Wanganui Red Cross Centre, welcomed Lady Dill and said that she was the guest of the Government, which was expressing its thanks for the w.ork she had done for New Zealand soldiers during the war. Many returned men had very pleasant memories of Lady Dill's home on the Kentish coast. WORK DURING WAR. During the war years Lady Dill’s work with the British Red Cross gave her a good knowledge of what was being done by New Ztaland and of the parcels of food and clothing sent overseas from the Dominion. In this respect Wanganui had held its own and was continuing to send parcels.' The Wanganui R.S.A., with its Women’s Section, had sent 600 individual parcels of foodstuffs during the past few months, mostly to Bradford, Wanganui having adopted the British Legion there. The Wanganui Red Cross had sent thousands of parcels of food and many cases of clothing. One drive alone resulted in no fewer than 226 cases of clothing being packed as the result of one day’s effort. This represented 26,000 individual garments, many of them for children, and the value of the consignment was estimated at more than £6OOO. Lady Dill expressed warm appreciation of the flowers which were awaiting her on her arrival at Wanganui, and also her thanks because so many members of the Red Cross were present in uniform. "This short notice must have been inconvenient for you, but it was not my fault," Lady Dill added. “The Government knew my plans a long time ago and I particularly wanted to come to Wanganui. I know what Wanganui has done in sending parcels of food and clothing, and what these have meant to people in England.” Lady Dill said she wanted to particularly thank those senior members of working groups who spent, so much time stitching garments and preparing them. It was obvious that these women had gone to a great deal of trouble and the clothing was most welcome. WANGANUI'S EFFORT "Wanganui’s total is a magnificent one and all that has come over nas been distributed," said Lady Dill, who added that be.ore leaving for New Zealand she attended distributions of food and clothing in Oxford, Canterbury and Christchurch. In Oxford a full day was spent distributing food from New Zealand and she wished that New Zealanders could have seen the joy and gratitude with which, these parcels were received. Canterbury, where much clothing was distributed had suffered heavily during the war and there was much poverty. “The welfare officer of the Red Cross collected a large number of people and we went from group to group giving them the clothing. Some could not realise that these were gifts and their gratitude was very real," said Lady Dill. Referring to Red Cross activities during the war years, Lady Dill said that New Zealand had made an excellent contribution of food parcels for prisoners of war. Had it not been for these parcels the British Red Cross would not have been able to keep prisoners of war supplied. It could not have carried on without the help received from Wanganui and New Zealand generally. In reply to questions which she 'n« vlted, Lady Dill said that honey, milk powder and tinned tongues were particularly welcome. Most of these foods were distributed among invalids and people greatly in need. Heavy meats were not so suitable. The milk ration in Britain was so small that tinned milk was particularly acceptable to mothers with babies, and also to elderly people. WOMAN’S GRATITUDE One woman, who was bed-ridden, received a tin of fruit from New Zealand and said it was the first tinned fruit she had received since beforo the war. She did not know whether to save it lor her birthday or for Christmas. Children's and babies’ wear was most welcome and warm second-hand clothing was always much appreciated, said Lady Dill, asked to give an indication of the type of clothing required most in Britain. "But I have not come to New Zealand to ask y,u for anything,” she added. "Rather, I have come here to thank you for what you have already sent." The gathering was pleasant and informal. Lady Dill moving freely among those present and meeting .most of them personally. A vote of thanks to het was moved by Dr. H. L. Widdowson, president of the Wanganui Red Cross Sub-Centre, who said that many New Zealand soldiers had returned and expressed gratitude for what had been done for them in England Lady Dill will visit Mr. J. G. Alexander’s homestead, Maxwell today. after which she leaves for Feilding.