THE COUNTESS OF LIVERPOOL’S FUND.

Huntly Press and District Gazette, Volume 4, 26 November 1915, Page 2

THE COUNTESS OF LIVERPOOL’S FUND.

TO THE EDITOR. The following letter has been received by Her Excellency, the Countess of Liverpool, from Lieutenant Colonel A. Charteris, Officer Commanding the New Zealand Base Depot, Alexandria; “ I have the honour to notify you that the goods forwarded by the “ Maheno ” were duly collected and are now gradually being distributed. Unfortunately, just as the goods arrived, our forces suffered very severe casualties and it has been most difficult to trace many of the men for whom personally addressed parcels have been sent, and I do not send out such parcels on any off chance. All units at present in Egypt have had their gifts handed to them and those at the Front are receiving them as quickly as their requisitions come in. Owing to heavy losses it was simply waste to think of sending over to Anzac 1000 gifts per battalion when such unit could muster only 200 men —the goods not immediately issued would simply have been destroyed by enemy’s shells or wasted in other ways. Consequently I sent a circular to each Commanding Officer of Company, etc., asking him to let me know the number of men left in his unit from different districts. Here was delay again, as the fighting was so heavy that I have not yet received replies from ail Officers written to. However, as these arrive they are immediately attended to.

I am sure everybody appreciates very highly your thoughtfulness in supplying our brave lads with comforts, and it is a matter for sincere regret that so many of our poor fellows will not receive those sent to them. Would it not be possible in future to make goods for “ general distribution ? ” I do not wish to dictate or interfere in the very slightest, but our men are now so scattered, and are likely to be so in the future, that it is mostjdifficult to trace them; also cases addressed, for example, 4th Reinforcements, 6th Reinforcements, etc., are practically impossible to deliver, because immediately these reinforcements join our force they are split up among the original troops and so absolutely lose their identity. I make these suggestions not only for convenience in distribution, but also for the sake of quicker delivery. If all goods come for “ general distribution ” they can immediately be despatched “en bloc ” according to the average number of men in a unit.

Please accept my sincere thanks on behalf of officers and men of the New' Zealand Expeditionary Force for the thoughtfulness of the promoters of your fund ; the ladies may rest content that none of the results of their “ labour of love is wasted, and as far as possible everything goes where it is intended.”