La Guerra y sus Consecuencias The War and its Effects IN COSTA RICA ST. DUNSTAN FOR BLINDED SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND AIRMEN OF THE BRITISH EMPIRE TO DECEMBER 31, 1941 LORD HUNTINGFIELD (ON BEHALF OF RH. THE FROM SIR IAN FRASER: DUKE OF GLOUCESTER RED CROSS ST JOHN FUND It is with feelings of the utmost appreciation that we receive the Thank you so much for your letter enclosing a cheque for 100. 00 gifts which you send to us from our generous friends in the as a gift to St. Dunstan from members of the British Republic and although find it increasingly difficult to Colony, Costa Ricans, American citizens and other simpaconveyour gratitude for their wonderfully kind assistance, thisers resident in Costa Rica. It is extremely kind of you to hope that you will assure them on behalf of His Royal make this further donation, and send you our official Highness and of all associated with this Fund and the Joint receipt with our warm thanks.
War Organisation, that their unfailing help has won the Among men from the Navy we have with us at present a young heartfelt thanks and admiration of us all.
man who was blinded on the Prince of Wales in the recent. How generous has been the help received from Costa Rica through the medium of your Lcgation, and how deeply do action against the Bismarck. He was an actor before the we appreciate the generosity of those who have, from time war, and has appeared in a number of West End productions.
to time, contributed to our needs.
Unfortunately, he has lost one eye, and fear will only have. To His Majesty loyal subjects, Costa Ricans, American citivery little sight in the other. There is also a lad whose sight zens and other residents in Costa Rica who have thus generwas very badly damaged during a severe raid while he was ously expressed their sympathy with our cause, trust it on land, attending a special course for selected Stokci Petty may be possible for you to convey the deep sense of gratiOfficers. He has an expert knowledge of both aircraft and tude with which His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloumarine engines. When he has learnt all that we can teach cester has received this further tribute to the great work him. ain hoping to get him placed in a job where his being carried on by the British Red Cross and Saint John, not only in this country but in the Middle East and in Greece.
experience and intelligence will be valued. The other day You will readily appreciate the enormous strain which has also met the first member of the women forces to be blindbeen put upon our resources by the recent developments of ed. She was a motor driver and suffered serious cya injuries the war and we must redouble our efforts if the Joint War from blast and fragmentation from a land mine during a Organisation is to continue its vital work without restriction heavy raid on London. This young woman is a singer, and THE OVERSEAS LEAGUE TOBACCO FUND has already played in light opera, although her ambition is FROM THE SECRETARY to sing in grand opera. She has got on well and is now able This further splendid contribution to the Overseas League to receive professional instruction in our neighbouring large Tobacco Fund from members of the British Colony in Costa town.
Rica and other friends has safely reached us and it is hard It may interest you to know that already two men blinded in the to express what we feel about the generosity of our friends spring of last year have left us to take up posts in different overseas, especially in these difficult days in the Old Country.
parts of the country. The first man served with a well known Will you please convey our sincere thanks to all concerned Scottish regiment for seven years, and was called up again and can assure you that we welcome these donations.
in January, 1939. Towards the end of May, 1940, he was We are carrying out your wishes in sending some of your blinded during the campaign in France. He was brought gifts to the Royal Observer Corps and hope, in due course, and straight to St. Dunstan then on the south coastvery many grateful acknowledgements will be finding their subsequently discharged from the army. Since then, he has way back to you.
Numerous postcards have been received from those serving applied himself with great determination to learning to be in His Majesty Forces expressing thanks for Cigarettes provided blind and from the first has been anxious to train for a by the Overseas League Tobacco Fund. Here are a few extracts: career which will bring him regular employment. Now he is a telephone operator in a busy London warehouse. The The men of a lonely Observer Post have received with gratitude other is a North country lad, aged twenty two, who was your welcome gift of cigarettes, and wish me to ask you to blinded in Belgium while serving with a famous Lancashire convey their thanks to their friends in far off Costa Rica.
Thank you very much for your ciggics. assure you that they regiment. Before the war he was employed in the municipal got a tremendous reception. The boys howled like Red offices of an important Yorkshire city and now he is returnIndians, a howl which even beat Hitler fanaties in volume ing to the same Corporation as one of their telephone operaPlease convey to the Overseas League of the British Colony my fors. It may interest you to know that in this boy case, as grateful thanks for cigarettes received for the men of my in that of several others, telephone operator posta are being port. They are having difficulty in obtaining a supply this offered to new St. Dunstaners by employers who have alweek, so you are supplying the whiff of pleasure. Gracias, ready experienced the last war blinded soldiers at their Señorita. Vaya con Dios.
switchboards.
Very many thanks for cigarettes. Your gift is greatly appreciated by the members of this post, which is situated on an exposed Among our officers, one young man who had his sight severly moorland height. It is grand to know that as we enjoy a damaged as a result of illness following Dunkirk, is now!
quet smoke, we also share in fellowship with friends across able to return to the firm with whom he was previously the sea employed and take up a post as Branch Manager while al We can smoke, and we can still scrap, although many of second boy, who was blinded instantaneously when a shell us on this post are the Old Contemptibles of the Great War, burst in the cabin of the aeroplane which he was navigat1914, and now doing our bit in the Royal Observer Corps.
On behalf of the 23 members of my Post. thank you for the ing, is starting to read Economics, followed by Law, at Camgift of cigarettes. These men who are the eyes and ears of bridge, with the idea of becoming a solicitor.
the F. have an exacting job of work to do, and only Again thanking you all most warmly for your help and with wish you could have heard the words of appreciation exour good wishes.
pressed when they were issued with their share of your gift My ship company and greatly appreciate your gift of ciga.
THE DAILY SKETCH WAR RELIEF FUND.
Tettes, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
On behalf of the ship company. write to thank you for your very welcome gilt which can assure you was appreciated FROM LADY KEMSLEY: very much by us all.
Your gift has been received by me, an Australian and apart It is with the utmost gratitude that acknowledge receipt of your from its welcome nature comes as a bond between the most cheque for 100. 00 allocated to the Daily Sketch War Itellet distant parts of our Empire.
Fund from sums raised locally for British war purposes, and Dear Friends. Just a line of great appreciation for your gift should be glad if you would convey my thanks and apof cigarettes to men of the Royal Navy. May God bless you for what you are doing for our comfort and cheer preciation to everyone concerned.
We wish to thank you for your great kindness in sending THE SALVATION ARMY us cigareta tes. If we cannot chase the Huns out, we FROM LT. COL. ERNEST JEFFS. WRITING FORwill be able to smoke them GENERAL CARPENTER: out.
Your cigarettes are a Godsend.
We are miles from anywhere, have much pleasure in writing, for General Carpenter to ackand they came in the nick nowledge receipt of your encouraging communication of of time. Appreciation for February 27th. together with cheque value 50. 00 in favour these cigarettes spread of our War Emergency work. We understand that this gift through the camp like wild fire, and on behalf of everyfrom your war funds has been subscribed to by members of body thank you most sinthe British colony, Costa Ricans, American citizens and other cerely with must sympathisers with Britain cause, resident in the Republic.
The officers and tons men of this ship Please convey to these friends our warmest vratitude and des a mine swee per, thank you appreciation. We are grateful beyond words.
for your gift s of cigarettes. It too far away (sgd. Lyall, Chargé affaires.
come aboard and have one.
Miss Madge Lynch, Hon. Treasurer.
but we mean it just the same.
So, here cheers from the lowest form of sea growth, a mine o, neresch San José, Costa Rica, Este documento es propiedad de la Biblioteca Nacional Miguel Obregón Lizano del Sistema sweeping officer. a dece del Ministerio de Cultura y Juventud Costa Rica.
tire, and on o o tan behalf of every