The Church Army.

Levin Daily Chronicle, 9 October 1917, Page 4

The Church Army.

? ITS WORK FOR THE SOLDIERS. The Buckingham Palace Hotel, London, has been taken over by the Government and handed over to the Church Army in England to convert in- I to a (Soldiers' Hostel. Friends of soldiers in France are asked to give this . address to "their boys" and invite them when on leave to call at this famous '' Soldiers' Home,'' which con- i tains 6000 sixpenny beds, 18 bathrooms, sitting rooms, library; in fact!, every comfort to remind them of home. Meals are served day and night at less than cost price. Two hundred ladies have volunteered to run the canteen department in relays of fifty. The Church Army has three other large buildings specially fitted up and run for soldiers on leave. Troop trains arrive in London at all hours, and the doors of the "Soldiers' Home" arc always open. Many New Zealanders were amongst the lirst 30,000 who accepted Church Army hospitality, almost directly after Lady Haig had officially opened the largest one, near Buckingham Palace. Some time ago a Palmerston mother whose son was wounded w r as unable to discover his whereabouts. She therefore sent his number to tho Church Army (Trench and Wounded mcnt). They found her son, visitecl and cheered hin>, and arc, ready to do the same kind offices for any anxious mother in New Zealand. The Church Army secretary has been specially asked by two families to send parcels from the Church ArmyGifts to Prisoners' Department to their boys in Germany. This is done by the Church Army in England sending parcels from headquarters containing a w arm article of clothing, trench comforts, tobacco, a Testament and a cheery card.