A SOLDIER'S APPRECIATION

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 21 February 1918, Page 3

A SOLDIER'S APPRECIATION

OF V.M.C.A. SERVICE

THE following is an extract from a letter written to his parents by Trooper T. Glenny of Napier, at present in France, and endorses the many high enconiums of the worth of the V.M.C.A at the front: —

We are not allowed to mention lots of things that would be of interest to you. They drum it into us that it is a offence to mention anything about our movements, as to where we are, how many there are of us, or what we have done, or what we are going to do, so it is hard to know what not to write about. I expect it will interest you to know what the V.M.C.A. is doing and what we think of them. Of all patriotic societies and institutions the V.M.C.A stands out on its own. They have little canteens and marquees everywhere, and are doing great work. Whenever we shift they pack up their gear and come too, and we can get a good mug of tea or cocoa for a penny and they have biscuits for-.2da packet, so you see we can get a hot cup of something and a snack for 3d. When we were up near the trenches, we had a lot of night work to do, carrying barb wire, iron posts, etc., up to the front line. We had a long way to walk before we got to where the dump of wire was, and then we had a very long carry, and the trip there and back again to camp took six or seven hours. They used to shell our camp sometimes, and so sometimes we were under shell fire all the way up and back again. When we got up near the front lines the shells used to be bursting around us, pretty thick at times. When up there we were in trenches of course, and were pretty safe, but every time a shell whizzed overhead we used to duck, and what with ploughing through the mud with a coil of wire or whatever your, load happened to be on your back, and the excitement of it all, was very exhausting work. We used to usually get home somewhere in the small hours of the morning, and on our way home there was a Y.M.CA. canteen that was open all night and every night, and we could always go in and get a mug of something hot to drink aad a piece of cake of packet of biscuits free. I can tell you we appreciated it too. Every night this particular canteen used to supply hundreds of soldiers who had a night's work such as I have described with a hot drink and a snack free. This isn't the only one doing good work, they are everywhere. When we came down here, we marched for about four hours to the train, had several hours in the train, and then nearly four hours marching from the train. We got out of the train about 9 p.m., and the V.M.C.A. people were there on the side of the road with their boilers and biscuits waiting for us. We just marched past them in two rows, and in a few minutes the whole lot of us, and there were 1200 to 1500 altogether, were fixed up. The next day these same V.M.C.A. people had a big day, as there were a big lot of troops moving about, and they say they supplied about 7000 men that day each with a hot drink and biscuits free—this is a sample of the work they are doing. The marquee they have here was presented by the ladies of Marton. The canteen manager has a motor-van to use called "Buckshee Mac " in which they cart their boilers and gear when they go to meet moving troops, This van has a notice on " Buckshee Mac," presented and kept by P. A, Hardy, Palrnerstqn North. There are V.M.C.A. canteens wherever there are troops, and all doing the same work; as well as supplying tea, etc., they all have writing paper and envelopes, and a part of the room is set apart exclusively for writing. I know they are always collecting for different purposes in New Zealand, but if I was back again the V.M.C.A, is the first one I would subscribe to.

This sentiment is. expressed in letters from soldiers over and oyer again, showing that the work is really of vital importance to the comfort and well-being of the men. In order 'to maintain the service at its present state of efficiency, a Red Triangle Day campaign for funds is being organised throughout N.Z., and it is hoped by this means to raise £1 per soldier for a year —not much to expect when one considers that it costs £200 or thereabouts to train and equip each man for active service,