DOMINISON'S FORGES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 284, 17 March 1941, Page 3

DOMINISON'S FORGES

PATRIOTIC WORK

ENGLISH PURCHASES

Statements of accounts forwarded, to the National Patriotic Fund lioard by its overseas commissioner, Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. F. Waite, D.5.0., M.L.G., jjrovide a striking insight of the ramifications of the patriotic activities that he, the New Zealand War Services' Association, tiie New Zealand Y.M.C.A and others have conducted in England for the benefit of the members of the New Zei>ltmd forces. Apart from the maintenance of the New Zealand Forces Club in London, expenditure has been incurred in many ways io augment supplies of comforts sent forward from New Zealand.

Not all the expenditure, though: the purchases have been made in the United Kingdom, has been incurred solely for the benefit of New Zealand forces in England some of it has been made in the. interests of the welfare of the New Zcalanders in the Middle East, for whom in addition the National Patriotic Puntl Board has made substantial remit-

tanccs to its acting representative in this theatre of the war operations. For instance, the New Zealand troops in the Miclde East haveshared in the purchases tliat have been made in the United Kingdom of a considerable quantity of sporting gear—football jerseys, boots, stockings, shorts and so on.

The accounts also show the attention that has been given to making special provision for members of the New Zealand forces in hospitals and convalescent homes. Expenditure has been incurred on furnishings and equipment for these institutions and fpr the provision of special gifts at Christmas time. New Zealand prisoners of war have also not been forgotten, the accounts shoAving the allocation of moneys for the despatch of comforts to them. In addition to other provisionwhich has made out of thepatriotic funds for the Ncav Zealand' forces in England, capitation grants Avere paid direct to units, who spent their subsidy in their OAvn VA'a} 7 . Apart from this, representatives of every unit, to the number of 250. Avere given leave to attend Christmas dinner at the Ncav Zealand Forces Club "n London. The High Commissioner for Ncav Zealand (Mr W. J. Jordan) and Brigadier J. Hargest attended the dinner, which, states Colonel Waite, was a very happy break for them.

Funds belonging to the New Zealand War Services Association ill the United Kingdom have also been made available to promote the welfare ol' the Mow Zealand forces,, payments made from these funds in November and December amounting to over £400. At a meeting of the general committee of the New Zealand War Services' Association, which attends to the running of the New Zealand Forces Club in London, Colonel Waite paid a tribute to the service it was giving. Hef said he had probably come as closely in touch as anybody with the troops, and he had been very gladS to note the high regard in which they held everybody connected with the association. That day a letter had been received from a member of the R.N.Z.A.F. thanking the association for his Christmas parcel r and expressing the opinion that no other body of colonial troops in England was as well looked after as the New Zealanders.

On behalf of the troops, he thanked the general committee for its magnificent work. Miss M. Thurston and tiie hospital committee .were doing fine work in visiting" members cf the New Zealand forces; in hospital, who also were sent letters and -parcels from the office of the association. The padres were looking after other isolated groups —doing valuable work visiting merlin hospitals and so on.