4087 NOTIFIED

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 12, 4 February 1942, Page 5

4087 NOTIFIED

N.Z. PRISONERS OF WAR

INSTRUCTIONS TO NEXT-OF-KIN

The total number of New Zealanders officially notified, to date as prisoners of war is 4087, and in addition 102 are known to be prisoners but are not yet officially notified. The Prisoners of War Inquiry Office particularly requests next-of-kin to write their name and address on the back of the special tie-on Red Cross label. This facilitates the checking of the parcel before being opened by the censors. 5 Next-of-kin are again advised that they must not write anything whatever on the back of photographs. Many next-of-kin are still not enclosing the acknowledgment card, but are posting it in the packing centre. This is serious, and the instruction must be rigidly adhered to. Many, too, are filling in the lines where the prisoner is asked his preference for cigarettes or tobacco. This must be left blank for the prisoner. Many inquiries are still being forwarded whether tobacco, cigarettes and food may be included. For the time being, they are definitely prohibited. The packing centre is still despatching food parcels at the rate of 4000 a week and, in addition, the Canadian Red Cross has been requested to increase the quantity of food parcels they are sending up to 4000 a week until such time as the parcels which h'ave been despatched from New Zealand will definitely have arrived at Geneva. These pareels are paid for out of the Sick and Wounded Jjfund.

As prisoners of war from, Libya nre now being notified at a steadily increasing rate, the inquiry office again gives the information that, as soon as it receives notification from the Government, the High Commissioner in London also is notified, and he, acting in conjunction with the New Zealand War Services Association in London, immediately forwards a personal clothing parcel to every prisoner. Ihe next-of-kin of men who are missing, but have not yet been officially reported prisoner, are advised that the first notification that the man is a prisoner must come through the New Zealand Government.