THE EMPIRE'S WAR ACTIVITIES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 83, 22 June 1943, Page 3

THE EMPIRE'S WAR ACTIVITIES

r UP AT THE FRONT

WELFARE SERVICES N.Z. DIVISION IN A FIUC A Reporting on the servicing of the Ifew Zealand troops avlio took part With General Montgomery's victorious Eighth Army in the North African campaign, Lieutenant-Colonel F. Waite, commissioner for the National Patriotic Fund Board, states 'that the New Zealand Y.M.C.A men Avere the lirst to set up a canteen in a building near the waterfront at Tripoli. .\t Medinine he "tteaw the Ncav Zealand G.0.C.. Lieu-tenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg, avlio said to him: "Our I'clloavs iare the best looked after in North Africa. The Kiwi Concert Party, and fsie mobile cinemas and canteens have done great Avork. Tell the New Zealand people Ave are proud of tliem." Many difficulties. Avere encountered, but Colonel Waite says that under all the circumstances it Avas surprising lioav little Avas lost. He went by truck to Tripoli, taking eight days from Cairo, to see for himself if the Avelfare. sendees could be improA'ed in any Avay. Ho describes the trip as a punishing one f/>«* vehicles that are 110 longer no(\v. At the canteen established, in Tripoli free tea and biscuits Avere dispensed for the New Zealand troops

In Bombed Area "The location Avas right in the bombed area/' Colonel Waite continues. ''The two nights I stayed there spectacular raids occurred. This is interesting for a night or two, but. gets very trying for men who have, to put up with it night alter night. Over 500 free cups of tea, with biscuits, Ave re supplied daily to our men on leave in Tripoli from units at our advanced base. At. the adAanced base itself, a New Zealand Y.M.C.A. institute was operating Avhere men could, get their free tea and biscuits, Avrite their letters home, and purchase in the canteen whaLever goods were available. The New Zealand Forces (!'lib in Cairo sends up to the Y.M.C.A. and unit canteens Avith the advanced base, and the DiA'ision eA'cry thing available. Indeed an analysis of all the supplies bought, both from New Zealand and locally. by the club, in Cairo shows that 90 per cent goes to units in the field.'' The Y.M.C.A. secretaries and the padre at base visited all the hospitals in the Tripoli area. Referring to the KiAvi Concert Party, Colonel Waite says that it played with great success in Tripoli and the surrounding areas. An opportunity for these entertainers to go to Malta, and for maintemince of instruments and properties, and lor incidental expenses at Malta, he made a grant of £1.10. Altogether about >:ol)(i0 lias been spent by ' the

board on this party. "The New Zealand entertainment unit," lie adds, "has a great name in the Middle East, and the expenditure on it is considered amply justified, as its services are regarded as being very stimulating to 'browned off' troops." The Real Thing The New Zealand mobile cinemas not only catered for our own troops, but also i'or naval, air force and British Army units. Colonel Waite relates that at one show when the. evening open-air audience -was watching a bombardment scene in the film "Next of Kin" beh/ncl the screen was witnessed for 20 minutes a brilliant real bombardment of Tripoli, complete with bursting shells, red and orange tracers, and German Hares, dropping quietb r down. The mobile canteens up with the Division had done, great" work, even though .supplies had been restricted. "It makes one very proud of our welfare service," Colonel AVaite conclude-;, "to know that our New Zealand Y.M.C.A. has a reputation of giving the closest front-area service. The Maori canteen, with, its touching Maori inscription, is perhaps the most famous, of all front-line canteens in the Middle East. It follows the Maori Battalion into the most dangerous places." Colonel Waite added that at the -time of. writing the. Y.M.C.A. and. Church Army mobile canteens were keeping up with the Division.