JOHN BULL CALLING

Wairarapa Times-Age, 25 March 1943, Page 2

JOHN BULL CALLING

DISTRICT PATRIOTIC APPEAL. — V The following is an extract fro'Ai a letter received from a Masterton boy by a member of the Patriotic Committee. The writer was an officer on one of the largest transports. “I have handled nearly 8 tons of gifts in 173 cases, taking up 620 cubic feet in all. It has aroused much interest on the ship. This wonderful old liner, the ship which more than any other in the world when a boy I would have given anything to see, has carried a mighty lot of troops in this war, but never before have such vast quantities of gifts been given out—games, reading matter (500 books and magazines), cigarettes, sweets, biscuits, and goodness knows what else. It has kept me and a hard-working fatigue going all the voyage, and the boys are very appreciative of it all. We have got our lounge complete with orchestra now. No other troops have been entertained and looked after on board in the way that ours have. We run a concert and two picture shows daily, and there are organised games and lectures, debates, competitions, community sings, etc., every day. It has been a wonderful trip, and one of the greatest experiences of my life.”