FACING THE FACTS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 259, 31 July 1942, Page 3

FACING THE FACTS

Women Heads Of Services

Appeal For Recruits

The three heads of the women's branches of the fighting services in New Zealand spoke at the air-raid shelter in b ellington yesterday, the second last day of recruiting week for women. Wearing their distinctive uniforms of the Navy, Army and Air Force respectively, Miss Huth Herrick, commandant, W.K.N.8., Mrs. Vida Jowett, commandant, W.A.A.C., and Mrs. F. I. Kain, superintendent, W.A.A.F., appealed in turn to the women of tile Dominion to realize the urgent need there was for them to join up in hundreds. Two sections of women were, included in Airs. Kain’s appeal. First, the mothers, so many of whom had given their sons for overseas service. Now, she said,, it was their daughters who were being asked, for. It was' a sacrifice which might be as hard as parting, with sous; it was the sacrifice of their companionship that meant so much, but. even daughters must bear their full share in the type of war raging today. To the woman who had convinced herself that she was doing all that could be expected of her, Airs. Kain addressed the second part of her appeal. This woman’s “bit” might be knitting for friends and relatives overseas, giving a night to voluntary work at a club for men of the armed forces. This work was needed and must be done but not by a woman who could do full-time work in one ot the armed services. There were older women and married women with domestic ties who. could perform voluntary work as their war effort. Great Britain had 20.000 M reus,; said Miss Herrick. New Zealand needed ’Wrens in hundreds only, but needed them badly. People willing to do mess work aft cook's and stewards, those who would clean-and wash up. Girls trained m science were wanted, with a good workingl- - of such subjects as» chemistry and mathematics, also typists, • a few transport drivers, coders, teleprinter operators and signallers. By deed rather than words let the W.R.NiS. New Zealand branch, along with the other two services, earn the same reputation for efficiency and the same spirit of service as the women in the fighting forces m Britain had achieved. ’ “I appeal to you one and all to come in and support me in raising in New Zealand a women’s army, second to none,’’ said Airs. Jowett. Courage was needed and sacrifice was inevitable, but it was a sacrifice that every woman worthy of her British heritage should be proud to make. The appeal was a voluntary one based bn the belief that there wouldbe no lack of response once the urgent need had been made known to the women of New Zealand. Now the need was., known, were women offering their services or still sitting back reviewing in their own minds whether they were prepared to make the necessary sacrifices, she asked.