IN ENGLAND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 85, 29 June 1943, Page 8

IN ENGLAND

WAR CONDITIONS DESCRIBED

LETTER FROM AVAR NURSE

Writing to her friend, Miss McLennan. of Victoria Avenue, Miss R. Love, avlio is performing Avar service in a London Dispensary at Home, has some interesting observations to make on life in general in Avar-time England. Something of the indomitable spirit of England under the. 'blitz' may be gathered from the letter, extracts of which we publish hereunder. "Why should Ave, when we are winning Avorry about the raids, the lack of sleep, and the food shortages," asks the Avriter. "Nevertheless it takes a little time to recover from a raid, as they are really terrifying and alarming, but we must thank God that our house is still standing and that we are safe. The other evening one. of our OAvn shells landed in our road, and struck a house near ours. It. flew .through a window, through the, ceiling to the upstairs rooms, bounced back again and exploded. Every Avindow around was smashed. Hoav we escaped I don't knoAv" ! Life is very difficult, but that sounds like grumbling and that is a thing Ave must not do. We have only to look around and see the old men aged about 70 years carrying bravely on. The AA'orli is endless as there is a prevalence of boils at present oAving to food. Speaking of a young couple Avho were trying to. set up house, the writer said that, they Avere forced to pay £30 and £60 for second-hand carpets, afid no less than £200 for a couch and two chairs that they fancied. "We get lovely parcels from a NeAV Zealand friend, containing butter and delicious tinned tongue. In return we hope to entertain some of the NeAV Zealand boys over here but it will be difficult Avith no fish, one egg per month, no suet, except once in a while, lib of jam per month—so I ask you? We have steamed pudding made Avith potato instead of suet and have one potato meal per day to save bread. You can see that the houseAvife is lnyyiiig a trying time but you won't hear a grumble . . . Pray for us, for the boys, ALL boys Avho are doing their bit in this life, and death .struggle. It is hard to bring up a family and not to have them around you and have their love and affection.