CHURCH ARMY

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 25, 24 October 1918, Page 11

CHURCH ARMY

.. ■ : S — : — '—*-■ WAIPUKUEAU AND WELLINGTON ~.. . -' HUTS. The'-Rev. F. W. Whibley, hon.-New Zealand secretary of the Church ■ lias received the follovriag account of the Waipukurau and Wellington huts:—"Last summer I was approached by tile O.C. of a division that was occupying what was known as the 'hash area.' It was go 'called because great secrecy was observed. !as to what was being done in this area. , No one was allowed out of the area. , -Hence they had no facilities for recreation, I granted the O.C. two canvas huts for the use of tho men, named respectively AVaipuknrau and Wellington. These were transported to the .of.the area, 'and there the men of; the division.. were allowed to fetch and erect, them. By special permission, after.'the-huts had been erected for some time, I was allowed to see them. I found them of the greatest service to the men. Imagine a large tract of absolute desolate, country, without- a house, a few huts and-sheds, arid all the rest tents. At each did. of the caiiip' was one of our huts, and by the way they were Used we could have filled another five or six. The men regarded them as an inestimable" boon, places where they coiikl get away for a short' lime from the incessant military atmosphere. The general wrote sayiiij the lints had proved a great boon,to all ranks, and had done much to cheer and comfort the men. In the autumn the 'hush area' was evacuated, and: these huts'were moved up to thefront...There again they proved of the'greatest benefit to the men. They were placed in-.; a . sea of. mud, where houses had been blown away and destroyed. . Once more, the troops moved away, and the two huts were moved, to a neighbburiiif town. Then the Boche- push began ~and the town fell into his hands, arid with the town the two huts. During the tiuHJ they wfire at work they brought .brightness and pleasure into the many.". •.■•• 'y ' ■■ ■ .-■"•''

Jfr, Wliibley states that to replace these and'others of the one hundred lost huts the people of New Zealand have sent thirty-five-iCMfI huts to the Church Army for Ihe' use of our soldiers, one only of the number be'ins for the men of. tho Navy and .minesweepers.