COMFORTS FOR TROOPS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 6 March 1941, Page 5

COMFORTS FOR TROOPS

BIG CONSIGNMENT REACHES BRITAIN. WOOLLEN GOODS DAMAGED AFTER ARRIVAL. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Although Christmas parcels sent by the National Patriotic Fund Board reached the New Zealand forces in England safely and in good condition a considerable portion of the woollen goods included in the consignment suffered severely by enemy action after arrival in Britain. Advice has been received from the overseas commissioner, Lieutenant Colonel Waite, that 4G out of 50 cases of woollen goods were destroyed, representing a loss of approximately 7000 each of balaclavas, pairs of mittens and scarves. The cases were stored at the time in a warehouse in Liverpool .As the contents had some salvage value. they were handed over to the Knitted Comforts Committee to salvage and make the best use possible of the material worth saving. The cases were part of a big consignment of comforts.

Lieutenant Colonel Waite forwarded details of the Christinas parcels, showing that 142 cases went to London for posting to individual members of the Navy and Royal Air Force, twelve special cases to the Maori Battalion, three to nurses, four special cases to Forestry units, three to members of the New Zealand forces in hospital and 998 were allotted for distribution among other New Zealand troops.