She Has Written 3000 Letters In Two Years!

New Zealand Listener, Volume 11, Issue 267, 4 August 1944, Page 7

She Has Written 3000 Letters In Two Years!

; H. Gush (aboye), formerly of Pungarehu, Taranaki, and now of New Plymouth, has been listening to broadcasts by prisoners-of-war from, Germany, Italy and Japan, and so far she has written more than 5000 letters to prisoners’ relatives. Mrs. Gush takes down every name and message that is broadcast, and keeps all the casualty lists published in the newspapers to find the name and address of the next-of-kin. Her letters, telling of the broadcasts, have gone to all parts of New Zealand and even as far abroad as Australia, England and Tonga. In spite of the letters already despatched, she has hundreds more to send off. Mrs. Gush has overcome the obstacle of the cost of stamps, paper and envelopes for this herculean task by giving up going to the pictures and putting the money so saved into her fund, "It is. only:a little bit of a’sacrifice," she remarked, "but I have been well repaid by the hundreds of marvellous letters of appreciation and thanks I have received. I only wish I could do a bit more." Mrs, Gush’ started her present task because, during the last war, she lost two brothers, one of whom was missing, and the relatives had no news of him. She hopes that through her work some mother or wife may be saved the agony of uncertainty that follows the brief intimation, "Missing, . . ." "My only wish now" she says, "is that I may hear of the safety of some boy who is presumed dead, and send word to his relatives." ; E just over two years now, Mrs.