Our "Campaign Comforts" Fund.
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Only a very small percentage indeed of our troop:, goes into the Field without any previous military training whatever. That, there should be any at all is hardly realized by the British Public which is left at home. Yet there are, and of the several thousands of them by far the largest body numerically is that composed of men who but a. few short weeks ago may have been driving a No. 19 B-type on the late turn to Highbury Barn, or who were perhaps delivering household comforts to a reader's house in the country or suburbs from some great city store.
These men of the Mechanical Transport Branch of the Army Service Corps in nine cases out of ten went straight from good civilian jobs to hard campaigning ; they went—and are still going—in their thousands. They get no weeks of preparation and familiarizing with the new conditions, as do the ordinary recruits ; they enlist, have a uniform and a rifle given to them, and before they realize it, they are part of the crew of a convoy running from railhead right up to the shellploughed roads at the Front with wagons full of supplies for men, horses and guns. These suddenly-made soldiers "will come out of this business very well indeed," an officer in high position has already stated. , The driver and his mate, who knew nothing of bully beef and waterproof sheets, until a day or two afterwards they found themselves on a twenty-hour spell of driving under war conditions, are doing their job for their country, we learn from our own and other correspondents, with remarkable efficiency and good spirits.
These men of ours will share, we expect, in the distribution of woollen things from which all our troops will benefit. They will the more certainly do so if such gifts are ear-marked for their reception. We desire to offer our services for the collection of such parcels of wraps, socks, body belts and helmets, and for the forwarding of them to the Mechanical gransport bases, for proper distribution to the men we have in mind. You send us the comforts : we will see that they get to the right men.
The second part of our activities is to be devoted to raising money to purchase, for the same drivers, mechanics and mates, tobacco, cigarettes and driving gloves. These are the special comforts, to the purchase and sending out of which we propose to devote the COMMERCIAL MOTOR Fund. We shall be happy to have further suggestions, of course, and to consider them carefully. Gifts can be in cash or kind. We shall promptly forward the kind and spend the cash to the best pos
sible advantage. You must interest your womenfolk in this special fund for the industry which is doing such great work for our Forces. If they are already preparing scarves and other woollen comforts, ask them to send them to the Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, for the special use of the Mechanical Transport drivers and their mates, until recently lorry arid bus drivers, mechanics and their assistants. You can help, if you have works of your own, by promising to make a weekly collection for these Campaign Comforts for the men who, at the Front, are handling the lorries you have helped to produce and maintain. We have had one such offer by telephone. We took the opportunity one day last week to put our plans in outline before several well-known users. They received unanimous approval, coupled with immediate and willing offers of financial support. This practical help for our scheme, under which winter comforts will be sent out to the men very soon and be continued for as long as necessary, heartens us to work at it with zest. The Proprietors and the Editor have pleasure in starting the fund.
INITIAL CASH DONATIONS. The Proprietors of THE COM MERCIAL MOTOR 210 10S. The Editor ... 25 5s. Mann, Grossman and Paulin, Ltd. 25 5s.
Thomas Tilling, Ltd. ... ... 25 5s. *James Bartle and Co., Ltd. ... 22 2s. Eastern Motor Wagon Co., Ltd. 22 2s. National Steam Car Co., Ltd. ... £2 2s.
*Half each for gloves and tobacco.
The initial outcome of brief personal inquiry thus exceeds 230. We confidently leave it to our reac ers to increase that total. Large contributions are not expected ; they will not, however, be refused. The larger the numbers of their vehicles at the Front, the more readily, we believe, will some of our leading makers desire to be identified with this concerted movement to lessen the rigours of the ensuing winter campaign for the drivers and their mates.
Please fill up the form below, to facilitate uniformity, and do your best to get others interested. And remember that contributions in kind or cash will be equally carefully dispensed by us. All communications to be marked "Campaign Comforts," The Editor, THE COMMERCIAL MOTOR, 7-15, Rosebery Avenue, E.C.