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A grant of £1,000 has been made to each N.Z.E.F. General Hospital and £500 to each ambulance unit overseas. This is placed at the disposal of the Medical Officer in Charge and is available to provide extra comforts of an emergency nature for the patients under treatment. Hospital ships have been given supplies, and New Zealand naval units have been supplied with medical equipment and comforts for the benefit of the men under treatment in the sick-bay. Similar comforts have also been provided for the Clearing Hospital at Aotea Quay, Wellington. Regular visits have been made to camp hospitals in the Dominion, where cigarettes, tobacco, sweets, preserves, and reading-matter have been distributed. In addition, comforts have been supplied, as requested, in the form of radio sets, chairs, tables, and games. During the year the National Patriotic Fund Board advanced £23,500 to the Joint Council, and the balance a3 at 30th September, 1941, held by that body was £845 17s. 3d. Major W. G. Tweedy, M.8.E., has been appointed the Red Cross Commissioner in the Middle East to work in conjunction with Lieutenant-Colonel F. Waite, D.5.0., who previously occupied a dual position. During his stay in England Dr. Alexander Gillies kindly undertook to discharge, in an honorary capacity, the duties of Red Cross Commissioner there. These duties are now being carried on by Lieutenant-Colonel Bernard Myers. The Board desires to express its appreciation of the services of Mr. M. S. Galloway, Joint Secretary. (2) Prisoners of War : Prisoners o : f War Inquiry Offices have been set up in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin. Data has been printed and circulated for the information of the public, special contact being made with the next-of-kin so that information as to the procedure of corresponding with and sending parcels of clothing to their menfolk taken prisoner may be available. In addition to the large volume of inquiries received for prisoners of war and concerning missing soldiers, the official next-of-kin labels are supplied at regular quarterly intervals to those concerned. The personnel of the Joint Council at the four main centres attends to the censoring and repacking of next-of-kin parcels under the supervision of the Censorship Officer. A branch has been set up to deal with prisoners-of-war food parcels. Until such time as parcels from the Dominion began to arrive in the prisoner-of-war camps, arrangements were made with the Canadian Red Cross Society to supply 2,500 food parcels weekly for transmission through the International Red Cross to our prisoners of war. VI. Patriotic Work Overseas. (a) New Zealand Forces in Fiji.—The Board's activities overseas were increased by the despatch of contingents of New Zealand Forces to Fiji, where provision was made for the erection of five recreational huts in various places where the men were situated. Mr. H. C. Ford, Senior Y.M.C.A. Secretary in Fiji, acted as the Board's Honorary Commissioner there until his return to New Zealand, when Mr. F. L. Smith, Manager of the Bank of New Zealand in Fiji, was appointed to this position. Both these gentlemen have rendered valuable service in this connection. A soldiers' club has been erected in Suva, which contains all the amenities usually associated with such clubs. It is serviced by a committee of local residents on a volunteer basis. Before this club was erected the Suva Church of England conducted a small club in the Parish Hall and gave excellent service to the men. In another town in this area a soldiers' club was established in a large building reconditioned by the Board. This also is staffed by local residents. Two large and one small Y.M.C.A. buildings have been erected by the Board in the various camps, and this organization is doing excellent work for the welfare of the troops. The Board also made a grant of £800 towards the provision of extra amenities for the officers' and sergeants' messes in this area. Since their arrival on the Island the men have been liberally supplied with sports gear and other amenities. Two talkie machines, one of which is portable, have been supplied, and a large picture-hall was erected at one of the base camps. Local residents of Fiji have assisted in entertaining our men. Prominent among the local organizations working for the benefit of our men is the Suva Catholic Welfare Organization and Club, which has provided amenities in the crypt of the Suva Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. This club was formerly the Catholic Young Men's Club of Suva. This worthwhile service on behalf of New Zealand men is a local effort subsidized by the Board. (b) New Zealand Forces in the Middle East.—At the commencement of the Board's year our main troops overseas were stationed both in Great Britain and in the Middle East. The work carried out in Great Britain by the Board was of a temporary nature only, marquees and mobile units servicing the troops. During the year the Second Echelon joined the main forces in the Middle East, and comforts and amenities were placed on the troopships transporting them. Lieutenant-Colonel F. Waite, the Board's Commissioner, accompanied the troops, and took over from Mr. F. E. S. Long in the Middle East, who had been acting as the Board's Commissioner there. Soon after the amalgamation of our forces in the Middle East there came Greece and Crete. When the division moved off for active service matters of policy had to be determined, and it was decided to service the Forces as follows: — With the Division in the Field : The Y.M.C.A. and Church Army facilities, with mobile canteen units, mobile cinema units, and the provision of sports materials. Allowance for all Chaplains with which to provide immediate amenities. Subsidies to Regimental Funds : The Scattered Units not at Base : Subsidies to Regimental Funds. Troops at the Base: Y.M.C.A. and Church Army Services, Chaplains' Services, sports organization, Kiwi Concert Party, and Base Bands. The gift parcels and free issue of cigarettes and tobacco forwarded quarterly from New Zealand continued for both base and forward area troops. On the evacuation of our troops from Greece and Crete many of the gift parcels forwarded from New Zealand were converted into prisoner-of-war parcels and sent through Turkey to our prisoners of war. The services mentioned above cost, during the year, the sum of £97,324. (c) The New Zealand Forces Club, Cairo.—This club was opened on the sth February, 1941. Financial assistance was given by the Board, which guaranteed the rent and up to £1,500 towards

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