LONELY SOLDIER

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 259, 17 January 1941, Page 5

LONELY SOLDIER

NEW ZEALANDERS IN ENGLAND

SYMPATHETIC INTEREST

Well over 100 letters have been received by the National Patriotic Fund Board from people all over the country wanting the name of one of the "lonely soldiers" serving with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in England, mention of whom

was made in a report received at the beginning of this month by che National Patriotic Fund Board from its overseas commissioner, Lieuten-ant-Colonel the Hon. F- Waite. D.5.0., M.LC.

The report stated that there were eleven men whom the padres considered did not get letters or parcels addressed to them personally and who might rightly be classed as "lonely soldieis." The announcement was made that the National Patriotic Fund Board would make available the names of these men to people willing to write to the men and thereby supplement the service rendered to the fighting forces in general by the National Patriotic Fund Board. It was not anticipated, however, that there would be such an overwhelming response.

With two or three exceptions,, the letters are from women and girls, and a strong patriotic note is struck in many of them. They provide further evidence of the keen interest taken by the womenfolk of the Dominion in the fighting forces and their desire to do all they can to promote their well being.

As, however, the board has the names of only eleven "lonely soldiers," it has not been thought advisable to make them available to all the 100-odd applicants. If each were given a name, the ''lonely soldiers" would be swamped with parcels and .letters. This would neither be fair, to their colleagues nor to the men themselves, for it would involve them in considerable correspondence., which they would be likely to find difficult and costly to undertake.

Accordingly, the intention is to allot one to pairs of applicants, a which will mean that the applicants will receive name?. It is possible, however, that other names of genuine "lonely soldiers'' will be leceived later from the board's representa- 1 tives, in which case further allocations will be made.

In view of the steps taken by the board to meet the case of the genuine "lonely soldier" and the Aviliingness of the women and girls of the Dominion to give all the help they can, there should soon not be a man in this category in the New Zealand forces overseas.