“LONELY SOLDIER”

Evening Star, Issue 23680, 13 September 1940, Page 8

“LONELY SOLDIER”

LETTERS AND PARCELS GALORE Once “ The Lonely Soldier ” —now the envy of the Anzacs in Egypt as “ The Adopted Son of Australia and New Zealand!” This is how it hapw pened:— 8676, Private Fred Fleming, of th« 4th Field Ambulance, was the subject of a “ local ” in the ‘ Auckland Star ’■ some months ago, recording the fact that since he had been in Egypt hia only mail had been a note from the Income Tax Department. The “ local”* was reprinted in many newspapers and even found its way to Australia. The result was that he had received, up to August 23, over 90 letters as well as parcels of all sorts and descriptions 1 ■ r Like the true son of Anzac, however, Fred has not kept his good fortune to himself. Finding it impossible to deal with all this huge mail him- 1 self—though doing his best—he has passed on a number of them, to other “ Lonely Soldiers ”... and the parcels have been shared around. The whole episode, however.. expresses admirably the kindly spirit of the peoples of these two sister-Dominions—Aus-tralia and New Zealand. WRITING FROM EGYPT. Describing himself at the moment of waiting as “ shirtless, breathless, and stickily moist, saved from floating out to sea on a high tide of the sweat, of his own brow only by dint of securing himself to the chair with a large towel and countless sheets of blotting paper.’'* Private Fred writes that he is just recovering from “ a severe attack of nervous prostration—result of 70-odd letters and five parcels arriving sud- y denly out of a blue sky ... “ ‘ Wondering what the heck,’ you say. I was stunned. About ,20 letters had already arrived by air mail and had been answered, including a dozen or so from Aussie. Well! It seemed to me at first that my only hope was to open a weekly column in both the ‘ Star ’ and the ‘ Sydney Sun.’ To reply suitably to all who wrote would devour my entire wages for weeks to come—most of the writers want photos, too. However, I’m doing my best to see that every writer gets a reply, if not from me, then from some other ‘ lonely soldier.’ WHEN THE MAIL CAME. “ The mail was a record one, the biggest yet to reach the camp. It was splendidly handled by Divisional post, though, and deliveries were made almost every day for a week. A real red letter week . . . Christmas, New; Year’s Day, and a win over the Spring- , boks all at once could hardly have been ' better. For over three months we have been receiving only air mails.. “In the Y.M.C.A. reading room things were getting desperate. The chaps would pick up a paper dated last January, and sourly comment about ‘ to-night’s Star ’ Then came the flood ... Mail in camp! Ye gods, what a day! Even the cook stirred the stew with a ladle that wandered around the outside of the pan, so immersed was ha in ‘ a line from the missus.’ “ As for the Y.M.C.A. ... hare reading tables were almost swamped with papers, books, and magazines. Almost every paper in the Dominion was represented, including the ‘ War Cry, the ‘ Farmers Weekly,’ and soma ‘ Purity League ’ pamphlets. “ LIKE AN HOUR AT HOME." “Many an Aucklander pounced oa copies of the ‘ Star,’ and derived mora pleasure from them, though they were a month old, than they ever had before. We sympathised with the Papa-, kura boys in their loss of leave through: ’flu, smiled at the ‘ woman, a dog, a cyclist ’ who shared a nasty shock near the top of Pitt street early., in June, and pounced on the sporting pages. “ Even the picture ads. were eagerly, read. It was great to know that things at home were much as when we left . the same theatres, the same Ellerslie races, the same -well-known stores. A peaceful hour with a home paper is the nearest we can get to a peaceful hour at home.” Private Fred records in regard to his own mail, that letters came from people in all walks of life, and from almost every part of New Zealand, from the North Cape to the Bluff. “The tables were turned,” ha writes. “ Other chaps had to watch this time while I drew letter after Lqtter. I was astonished, of course, for I had not expected mail; Certainly not 70 odd letters, . . . “ The par was published in Australia also, and about 12 letters arrived from interested people in Sydney, while there were indications of many more to come. Among the writers were a veteran soldier of the South African campaign, who opened his cheery letter with the traditional greeting of the East; a sister nursing in an,important North Island hospital; . a lady journalist and a married couple managing their own farm in the far north. “ Another veteran soldier of the last Great War, whose years had diminished by over half in his efforts to join up again and ‘ be with the boys,’ wrote: I’ll see you in Cairo in a few years* time.” THEY “ ADOPTED ” HIM. “ Without exception the writers expressed genuine sympathy and friendship. ‘ We want to treat you just ai one of the family. Please think of u» . as such, and treat our two youngsters as brother and sister. We will write to you every week, and we’ll send you anvthing you need,’ wrote one couple. Another lady said: ‘ We will think of you as one of us. Whenever you may return, as we hope and pray you will soon do, there will always be a welcome for you at our home.’ “ Nearly everyone was willing to do all they could to brighten the life of the Lonely Soldier. They offered to knit, to send parcels of good things, books and papers. Some had already done so. I received five parcels. I am only sorry that the exigencies of active service prevent me from corresponding regularly with all who wrote. Much as I would like to do so, 1 am afraid it would be hardly possible for me to maintain such a big list of pen friends. “ I would like, however, to express my sincere and deep appreciation of tin’s generous response, and sincerely hope that any writer I am unable to answer myself will realise that the failure to reply is not duo to any lack of gratitude. I am doing my best, however, to see that every, letter is answered, if not by the original Lonely Soldier,’ then by.some other lonely soldier in the division.”

In further thanking his many coiv respondents for their generous action, the soldier states that all letters he is unable to reply to himself will be handed on to a welfare officer or padre so that they may be given to other soldiers who do not get much mail Ha adds that none of the parcels ana papers sent will be likely to go astray, for they will be shared.with his mates.