N.Z.E.F. TIMES

Korero (AEWS), Volume 3, Issue 10, 18 June 1945, Page 3

N.Z.E.F. TIMES

A KORERO Report

At the end of June N.Z.E.F. Times, official newspaper of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force and oldest service newspaper of this war in the Middle East and Mediterranean theatres, celebrated the fourth anniversary of its establishment. In those four years N.Z.E.F. Times has recorded the part played by 2 N.Z. Div. and 2 N.Z.E.F. in the changing fortunes of war in the Middle East and Italy and the achievements of other New-Zealanders in the air and on the sea throughout the world. Its principal service, however, has been to keep New-Zealanders abroad informed on national developments and Dominion domestic news generally. 2 N.Z.E.F. was the second of the Dominion and United Kingdom formations in the Middle East to produce its own newspaper. Now there are many— Crusader, Eighth Army News, and Union Jack for the U.K. Forces, Springbok for the South Africans, Fauji Akbar for the Indians, Stars and Stripes for the Americans, Maple Leaf for the Canadians, White Eagle for the Poles, and others. But when N.Z.E.F. Times made a rather timorous appearance in June, 1941, soon after the campaigns in Greece and Crete, only one other service newspaper was being published. This was the A.I.F. News, weekly of the Australian Forces, which ceased publication in January, 1943. N.Z.E.F. Times can go further back than June, 1941, for its origins. Its inspiration was that pioneer of service newspapers, the Crete News, which brought out its fourth and final issue during the height of the battle for Crete. Two of the men who assisted Captain (now Major) Geoffrey Cox to produce the Crete News formed two-thirds of the staff responsible for the first issue of N.Z.E.F. Times, the establishment of which was one of the matters discussed by the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, during his visit to the Middle East after the campaign in Greece.

The first issue of the paper (June 30, 1941) was of four pages only, of four 5| x 39 cm. columns. It contained only one advertisement, but after two more issues advertising revenue had so expanded that the size of the paper was increased to eight pages. Newsprint was obtained through arrangement with the British Army Printing and Stationery Service, and this organization, which controlled all stocks of all printing requirements in the Middle East, also made available zinc and chemicals for processing. The printing was done in Cairo at the premises of the 5.0. P., owners and publishers of the two English dailies circulated in Cairo, Alexandria, Port Said, and throughout the Delta area. Due to the shortage of reel newsprint, and in the interests of better reproduction, the printing was done on flat-bed machines. Less than three months after the first issue, N.Z.E.F. Times was increased to twelve pages, still retaining the fourcolumn format, and a full illustrations page covering both Middle East and Dominion news was included. After producing a special Christmas number of

28 pages, 63,000 copies of which were distributed, it was decided to expand the paper still further, and at the end of January, 1942, the width was increased to five columns. The staff also was increased — to five, listed as editor, business-advertising manager, assistant editor, literary assistant (responsible for sport and other reports), and an advertis-ing-distribution clerk. As the volume of news grew, and as more and more Cairo merchants were persuaded of the excellent advertising field, 16-page issues appeared, frequently with a double-page centre of illustrations. Production Production difficulties were great. The technical staff at the S.O.P. included representatives of a dozen or more nations, and language at first was something of a problem. The foreman on the' setting floor (there are twenty-three machines) was a Rumanian. The chief compositor for N.Z.E.F. Times was an Italian who had lived most of his thirtytwo years in Egypt. The other compositors included several Arabs, a Greek, and a Maltese, while an elderly Russian often lent a hand in between efforts at organizing a union. The linotype-operators, who ceaselessly mangled perfectly good copy, included an Italian who was deaf and dumb, two or three Greeks, several Palestinian Jews, a Cypriot, many Arabs (who are good artisans), and several unable to claim any definite ancestry.

The machine-floor manager was an Austrian, and the folding-stapling-cutting department was controlled by an Arab. It may be mentioned that the administrative staff of this publishing firm, with the exception of the editorial sections of the English and French newspapers, was of a similar cosmopolitan character. As the language used for a common means of communication was Arabic — the colloquial version—the difficulties of production were real, and early issues saw a good deal of vigorous New Zealand profanity wasted on the more or less desert air. Operators setting copy in a language they could not understand had to be forgiven a good deal, but the proofreading was a reader’s nightmare. Record all-time high was a page proof which was read thirteen times before it could be sent away, and this followed three or four readings on galley proofs. On one occasion the last forme was dropped as it was being carried down a flight of stairs. Slugs were retrieved by a hurriedly organized body of operators, compositors, and machinists, each taking a handful to search when the Italian foreman called for a line from the make-up sheet.

Distribution

The N.Z.E.F. Times is published primarily for 2 N.Z.E.F., but as far as possible an effort is made to reach NewZealanders serving with the Royal Air Force, Royal Navy, and U.K. Army Forces throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East, African, and Indian theatres. There is no charge for the paper. Disrt tribution throughout the scores of units

Dominion service personnel is a complex problem mastered mainly by the cooperation of the New Zealand Army Postal Services. Great assistance was also rendered by the United States Army Air Force for almost three months when the Division was operating in Tripolitania and Tunisia. Despite the fact that main elements of the Division were then 2,000 miles away from their base, with the assistance of U.S.A.A.F. transport sections the paper was carried regularly to them and distributed in the field within two or three days of the publication date. On at least one occasion some New Zealand troops in Tunisia received their copies on the date of publication. To-day N.Z.E.F. Times has as varied a mailing-list as any newspaper in the world, reaching all our Forces in Italy and the Middle East, North Africa, Kenya, Gold Coast, Somaliland, the Sudan, South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Palestine, Syria, Cyprus, Iraq, India—and New Zealand. A number of copies were flown to 3 N.Z. Div. in the Pacific, while at least one copy found its way to Goebbels’ propaganda department in Berlin. Until the establishment of the Southern Cross late last year, copies were also flown to the High Commissioner’s Office, London, and other places in the United Kingdom. All special Christmas issues, each running to over 40,000 copies, saw distribution extend to Iceland, Canada, the United States, and Australia. Postage to the Dominion on these special issues was defrayed by N.Z.E.F. Times, a charge of £125 (23,000 copies) being met in one year. The normal weekly issue runs to 11,000 copies and reaches units on a strengthratio basis.

Finance and News In the initial stages of establishment support likely to be obtained from Cairo advertisers appeared indefinite, and Lieut-Colonel (now Colonel) Hon. F. Waite, D. 5.0., 0.8. E., M.L.C., Overseas Commissioner for the National Patriotic Funds Board, assisted by guaranteeing the cost of the first four issues to the extent of £2O an issue. However, the paper established itself so quickly, due mainly to the perseverance of its business

manager in impressing Cairo merchants, that this guarantee was not called up. From its third issue N.Z.E.F. Times advertising revenue has always been able to show a margin over production costs, gradually accumulating a working reserve fund, which reached a peak of about £4,000 sterling eighteen months ago. Such a reserve would not have been possible had the newspaper required to be entirely self-supporting. Members of the staff, being in the army, are paid by the army, and all news services and photographs to the paper are free of cost, the Government paying for all news cables from the Dominion and London. The board of trustees comprises the Officer i/c Administration, 2 N.Z.E.F., the Overseas Commissioner for the National Patriotic Funds Board, the Assistant Chief Paymaster, 2 N.Z.E.F., the Public Relations Officer, and the editor.

N.Z.E.F. Times receives its New Zealand news by cable from the Director of Publicity in Wellington, and a service covering the activities of New-Zealanders in the European theatre through the High Commissioner’s office in London. These services are supplemented by newspaper clippings and photographs by air-mail. Carbons of New Zealand Official War Correspondents’ despatches are

dropped to N.Z.E.F. Times. The system in reverse (without cost) sees N.Z.E.F. Times administering the Official News Service to the Dominion and supplying copy and photographs to that very junior of service publications, the Southern Cross.

Apart from news, space is given to original contributions, payment is generous, and a sum approximating £I,OOO has been paid to members of 2 N.Z.E.F. for prose, verse, photographs, and black-and-white work It has been demonstrated that there is a great deal of potential literary and artistic talent in 2 N.Z.E.F., and more will undoubtedly be heard of several names familiar in the pages of N.Z.E.F. Times. “Johnny Enzed,” a weekly column chronicling the sights, and thoughts of the Division, written by Captain E. G. Webber (former editor) was a popular feature from 1941 until the author’s, return to New Zealand this year. Illustrations for a long time have been done by a brilliant young artist, Neville Colvin, of Dunedin.

Transfer to Italy In October, 1943, the Division moved to Italy, and it was soon obvious that there would be difficulties, particularly in distribution, if publication continued from Cairo. Transport by sea was out of the question, as delays in convoying and re-routing of ships were inevitable, and there remained the hazard of enemy air and underwater strength in the Mediterranean. The only issue despatched by sea, when conditions for rapid transport appeared particularly favourable, took almost three months to reach the Division ! Delivery by air also proved uncertain, being dependent entirely on R.A.F. Transport Command’s priorities.

The Eighth Army’s advance, however, had cleared the city of Bari, a sizable port on the Adriatic coast, and the many and varied printing facilities had been requisitioned by Britich Military Printing and Stationery Services. Enlisting the co-operation of this organization, arrangements were made for printing N.Z.E.F. Times in Bari. It was desired to avoid a break in continuity of publication, if possible, so an advance party of the literary staff left Egypt on January 1, 1944, to prepare the first edition in Italy, while the editor and remaining staff produced the last issues in Cairo and wound up advertising contracts and other matters of finance and administration. The last Middle East edition was published on January 31, and the first Italian number appeared on February 7.

Problems of distribution, gave way to difficulties in supply, 50 tons of newsprint assured by M.E. headquarters of B.M.P.S.S. failing to reach Italy. On the strength of its expected arrival, however, requisitioned Italian newsprint was made available for purchase, and later small quantities of Canadian paper were imported. In anticipation of a shortage such processing materials as zinc and silver nitrate had been acquired in Egypt, and these later proved of extreme value in bargaining for other services. For various reasons, such as the shortage of newsprint, the size of the paper was reduced to eight pages, each of five 11-em colums, and this continued until early in June, 1944, when the full 12-page

issue was restored. Paradoxically, though, when the paper was reduced in size the staff was increased, H.Q., 2 N.Z.E.F., posting graded linotype operators and compositors for duty. Thus, after three years, N.Z.E.F. Times had a complete literary, typographical, and publishing staff. Loss of Middle East advertising was largely offset by lower costs of production and sufficient revenue to cover costs is obtained from N.A.A.F.I. and E.N.S.A. advertisements. News cables at first took a little longer to reach the paper, re-routing through Malta being necessary, and, difficulties having arisen in the establishment of suitable photographic developing and printing facilities, there was a delay in photographs. Distribution to the Division was simplified, and the majority of Divisional units generally have received their quotas within fortyeight hours of publication. With the exception of three or four weeks in the

Volturno Valley, that position obtained until the break-through in the Po Valley last April. Our troops in Egypt have still to be supplied, but with air transport proving more reliable as the battle line' advanced, copies reach N.Z. Maadi Camp in reasonable time. The Future The oldest of service newspapers of this war, at least in the Middle East and Mediterranean theatres, N.Z.E.F. Times commenced its fifth year of publication with the first edition in July. In May it had carried its largest headlines —VICTORY IN EUROPE—to climax its record of the Division’s achievements over four years of hard campaigning. The journal carries on, and will continue until the last contingent of Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force boards ship for home. On board the last ship will be N.Z.E.F. Times.

Perspex Released to Civilian Industry. Perspex, the famous British plastic with a great war record, has now been released for the production of civilian goods. The post-war performance of this revolutionary new material is expected to excel even its wartime achievements. Perspex, developed and manufactured by Imperial Chemical Industries, England, is a clear, transparent sheet of methyl methacrylate. It has been used on every battlefield in the world and has successfully survived extremes of climate, hot and cold, wet and dry. One important wartime application of perspex was as aircraft glazing material. It stood the test of outdoor exposure for five years without distortion, cracking, or deterioration. In addition to its amazing toughness, the new plastic has other outstanding qualities which will make it immensely popular both among manufacturers and purchasers of civilian goods of all types. It can be formed by simple shaping processes or it can be cut, drilled, and worked with ordinary wood-working tools. Perspex has already been used for the manufacture of new types of domestic goods. General release of this plastic will enable United Kingdom manufacturers to extend its use to an immense range of consumer goods for both home and overseas markets.