FIRST ECHELON

Evening Star, Issue 23694, 30 September 1940, Page 4

FIRST ECHELON

SUPPLY OF COMFORTS “ Some letters which have come under notice recently show that apparently there is still some lack of appreciation of the position in respect of comforts for the First Echelon of the N.Z.E.F. in Egypt,” says a statement issued by Mr G. A. Hayden, secretary of the National Patriotic Fund Board. There was a tendency to the belief that the men of the First Echelon (said Mr Hayden) had been forgotten, but nothing was further from the truth. They had been supplied by the Patriotic Fund Board with sports gear, various games, writing materials, song books, radio sets, coffee and milk, lemons, soda water, pianos, books and magazines, etc., for use.on the voyage, as well as goods to be awarded as prizes on board ship, and other articles intended for use on disemarkation, including tinned fruit, marquees, and crockery. Sums totalling £6,735 in New Zealand currency for fit/ men and £6,050 for sick and wounded men had also been remitted to Egypt. It was most regrettable that the follow-up in the nature of gift parcels, 5,000 cases of apples, and more books and periodicals did not arrive in Egypt, owing to the diversion to the United Kingdom of the Second Eoheloii, with whom the goods were sent, but as soon as this position became known steps were taken to meet it. The board’s representative in Egypt was asked to provide additional comforts from the funds he bad in hand, and by the first available ship a fresh supply of gift parcels, together with 66 cases of fruit cake, was sent to the First Echelon. A few days ago he had received a cable stating that these goods had arrived. These, said Mr Hayden, were the facts of the case. He said it also did not appear to be fully appreciated that the Y.M.C.A. and the Church Army were agents of the board overseas, and that all the work carried out by these organisations was financed by the National Patriotic Fuud Board. In addition every padre overseas was provided with money to assist individual cases. The work done in the camps in New Zealand by the Y.M.C.A., Salvation Army, Church Army, and the Catholic Church was financed out of patriotic funds in the same way.

Having regard to all the facts, Mr Hayden said he thought it would be appreciated that the national patriotic organisation had played its part by the First Echelon. No one more than the board members regretted the position that arose when the Second Echelon was diverted to England and the comforts for the First Echelon did not thereby reach Egypt, but that was due to no fault or omission of the board, which, as soon as it was practical to do so, saw to it that this loss was fully mad© up. The patriotic organisation throughout the country, he added, was working well, and the aim of all engaged in the work was to see that the men of the fighting services received the maximum benefit of the funds subscribed. The public could rest assured that that was being done.