PARCELS FOR SOLDIERS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 20 October 1942, Page 4

PARCELS FOR SOLDIERS

DEAD OR TAKEN PRISONER

ISSUED TO OTHER MEMBERS OF UNITS.

PRACTICE IN MIDDLE EAST. (Special Australian Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The disposal of parcels which arrive in the Middle East addressed to members of the N.Z.E.F. who are deceased or missing or prisoners of war, was explained in a statement by Mr F. Jones IDefence Minister) who said: "These parcels arc always disposed of by issue to the unit to which the addressee belonged, the contents being distributed amongst the men of the unit. This system has been adopted since the first casualties in Greece and is to be followed in the case of tobacco parcels addressed to casualties of the abovementioned categories. Every endeavour is made to distribute parcels to wounded addressees and few go astray, but when a soldier has been returned to New Zealand, any parcel for him is also sent to his late unit.” The Minister said the suggestion that such parcels be sent to the .Red Cross, for distribution among prisoners of war. was impracticable because the number of parcels for prisoners of war monthly is limited and there thus would be an accumulation and wastage of parcels. It is considered that the senders would far rather that the contents be distributed amongst the addressees’ mates than that they should be sent back. Any article of sentimental value, or for which there appeared to be any particular reason for its return, was invariably posted back to the sender.