HAND OF FRIENDSHIP

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 13, 11 October 1943, Page 6

HAND OF FRIENDSHIP

Christmas Parcels Sent To Poles In Middle East Festively iced cakes, with colourful paper frills, and even party paper hats, were included in the parcels for Polish soldier patients in hospitals that have been dispatched with the other Christmas parcels, by the Polish Army League in Wellington, for Polish men and girls serving in the Middle East. Altogether 110 parcels were sent, including 80 for the men, 25 for the girls and two parcels of Christmas cakes for the girls’ mess. The paper caps were thoughtfully included in the hope that the sick men and the girls would have at least one frivolous hour m their long period of homesickness. This makes a total of 738 parcels sent in all. Apart from the parcels sent from the headquarters at Eastbourne, Palmerston North friends, who have a large group, have sent even more parcels than this and now Gisborne people are adding their quota. A good many hundreds ot Polish soldiers have found kindly people to care for them through the league h efforts. The personal touch of receiving cheerful letters and comforts from their friends in the Dominion has done much to brighten the solitude of these people, who have no links with their own families in 1 °The%arcels contained the usual housewife, ditty bag, tooth brush, soap, tins ot biscuits, cake, fruit and other miscellaneous tinned goods as could be obtained.,A good assortment of knitted goods and cigarettes also went forward. The commandant of No. o Polish Hospital in the Middle East, in a letter of thanks for parcels received, said bow touched and thankful all were for the great kindness of the senders. One ot the patients wrote that it was the first time any of them had received by mail something which proved that somebody cared for them.