GIFT PARCELS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 October 1940, Page 6

GIFT PARCELS

OFFICER EXPRESSES THANKS AND APPRECIATION. CONTENTS MUCH NEEDED. An indication of how much gift parcels are appreciated by soldiers overseas is given in a letter received by Mrs M. E. Beetham, of Lansdowne, from Major D. T. Maxwell, a member of the First Echelon in Egypt. Major Maxwell received one of tile personal gift parcels sent to New Zealand soldiers overseas in June, the despatch of the parcels having been arranged by the Masterton Ladies’ Patriotic Committee He writes as follows: — “.I want to write and tell you that I was the recipient of your very excellent gift parcel which reached me last night. I hope that you are not disappointed in learning that your gift reached one of the staff, and not a more deserving soldier. However, there were enough for all, and the decision was made that officers would participate. Actually we are all in the same box at the moment, and the parcels could not have arrived at a more appropriate moment. We have been in the desert for some weeks and there is a real shortage of most of the articles you so thoughtfully included in the parcel. Whoever decided on the contents, must have had practical knowledge of~he soldiers’ needs, and in my case everything was most useful, and I assure you we all felt most grateful to our kith and kin for this excellent gift. There was much celebrating by the soldiers after the arrival of this first batch of parcels and it was rather reminiscent of a Christmas when we wei : e all much younger. Everyone compared parcels, but no one would change his for the world —it was all most pleasant and we felt nearer home than ever before.

“At the moment we are just waiting and preparing. Our nights are fairly disturbed now and bombing is quite regular. It is a desolate barren land, though at the moment well packed with soldiers. Soon, I fear, it will become one more battlefield, which for us will be historical if it is our first ‘blooding’ in this war. “We have the Mediterranean sea only a few yards from some biv’ouacs and it has been a great pleasure to our chaps. There are few parts of this coast that we have not bathed in now, and without it we would ‘go dirty’, for water (fresh) is scarce. It has not rained since April 1, and it is surprising to find that many of us would welcome a day similar to a boisterous Wellington southerly in July. Two soldiers were discussing the Egyptian climate in the canteen the other day and one said: ‘lt never rains in this country,’ to which the other replied: ‘Why should it, there is no grass here.’ Actually the soldiers are in great form and as fit as it’s possible to be. They will give a good account of themselves. “Well the moon is rising any moment and its time then to take some cover so I will bring this to a close. Ido want**to thank you most sincerely for your kind gift which I have really appreciated, and I assure you every article is of real use to me now. And above all, the spirit of the gifts gave one and all a real comforting feeling.” _____