WITH THE TROOPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 July 1940, Page 9

WITH THE TROOPS

CHURCH OF ENOLAND WORK DOMINION AND OVERSEAS. REPORT OF COMMITTEE. Interesting particulars of the work being done by the Church of England with his Majesty's New Zealand Forces in the Dominion and overseas are given in a recent report of the Church Military Affairs Committee. As recently announced, the committee has ceased to act as an authorised collecting agent, and funds for the work undertaken are now provided by the National Patriotic Fund Board. Donations that come to hand will, however, be gratefully received and passed on to the Patriotic Fund Board. To the time when the system was changed, the Military Affairs Committee had collected £13,315, of which £10,918 had been spent in establishing and carrying on the work in the camps, and the balance has been paid into the Patriotic Fund. With the funds previously collected, a great deal has been achieved. Church huts have been built at Papakura, Trentham and Burnham, each being staffed with two church army officers. Marquees are in use at Hobsonville and Ngaruawahia, and the army provides a building at Narrow Neck Training School. At each of these camps a church army officer is in charge.

Accommodation at the Trentham Hut is proving inadequate, and a large writing room is to be added. Improvements are also to be made to increase the comfort of the Papakura Hut and the Ngaruawahia marquee. Plans are being prepared for a Church of England Hut in the camp now being built to take a large body of men at Waiouru. For these extensions, the National Patriotic Fund Board has agreed to provide the funds. The church's activity is not confined to New Zealand, but is being continued with the New Zealand troops overseas. Two church army officers have already gone overseas, one with each of the First and Second Echelons, and a third is in training and will accompany the Third Echelon. A marquee and a chapel tent have been erected in the camp in England so that the church may have means of ministering to the spiritual needs of our men. The National Patriotic Fund Board has remitted funds to Egypt and England to meet the needs of organisations working for the benefit of the troops. The Hon. F. Waite, M.L.C., is commissioner overseas of the board, and the High Commissioner for New Zealand and Bishop G. V. Gerard have been appointed to act with him as a committee in administering patriotic funds in England.

An idea of the great use made of the facilities and services provided is given in the report for June of Captain F. C. Pearce, church army officer in charge at Trentham Hut. One thousand men use the hut during the course of each day and church army officers are on duty for approximately 75 hours weekly. About a thousand letters are written by the men each week on the letter paper provided by the hut. Many of the men bring their troubles to the padre and to the church army officers, who are grateful for the opportunity of ministering to such cases, “This military work,” writes Captain Pearce, “is the greatest missionary opportunity the church has had for a number of years. Here we have men in the mass and all our cups of tea, free games and other facilities must only be a means to an end, and not an end in themselves.” Nightly prayers are taken, the men joining in very devoutly. In addition to the weekly compulsory church parade, Holy Communion is administered every Sunday, and there is also a voluntary evening service. By contributing liberally to the National Patriotic Fund, church people will be making their contribution towards carrying out the church's obligations to men in his Majesty’s forces.