PACIFIC FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 November 1943, Page 4

PACIFIC FORCES

PROVISION OF COMFORTS NATIONAL PATRIOTIC FUND BOARD. FULL PREPARATIONS MADE. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Before the New Zealand troops in the Pacific moved into the forward area to engage the Japanese full preparations were made by the National Patriotic Fund Board to make comforts and amenities available to meet such a contingency. These preparations were made in New Zealand and also by the Board’s representatives in the Pacific, and when the troops moved they were accompanied by Major Brain, commissioner for the Board in the Pacific area. Unfortunately, the shipment of goods presented a problem and difficulty was experienced in getting stocks to the men. The Secretary of the Board, Mr Heyden, said today that, having regard to preparations that had been made, it had been very disappointing to learn that, owing to shipping difficulty, it had not been possible to cater for the men in the forward area from the outset in the way that had been planned. Some supplies had gone forward but the shipment of a considerable quantity of comforts and equipment, to improve the amenities available to the New Zeaalnd troops, had been delayed. This applied both to goods assembled in New Zealand and also at the base in the Pacific, where splendid work had been done by the Board’s representatives to relieve the position in some degree. It had been possible for the Board’s commissioner to purchase some supplies from army canteens near the forward area. While naturally it was a matter of regret to the Board that delay had occurred to prevent Major Brain putting into operation immediately the full scale of the welfare service on the lines planned, the secretary said he was pleased to be able to say that the problem now had been overcome as the result of the improvement in the shipping position and it was not anticipated that there would be a recurrence of the difficulty in the future.