Evening Telegraph 11 October 1939

A COMPLAINT ABOUT PARCELS AND LETTERS NOT REACHING SOLDIERS AT THE FRONT WAS MADE AT BURTON LATIMER URBAN COUNCIL MEETING ON TUESDAY EVENING, AND ONE COUNCILLOR ACCUSED OFFICERS OF STEALING THEM

Coun. B.W.Phillips mentioned that it was proposed to form a town committee in Burton Latimer to organise a fund for sending parcels at Christmas time to Burton Latimer soldiers at the front. He mentioned how deeply soldiers such as himself in the last war had appreciated such parcels.
In this connection, Coun. A.V. Morley mentioned that he had heard of a recent case in Burton Latimer of a lady who had sent four parcels to her son in France, and who had recently heard that he had not even received a letter from her.
Coun. Morley said that he knew from his own experience in the last war that parcels often went astray at the base. He suggested that the pick of them were often taken by officers, and claimed that he knew this for a fact, because it had been his job to take them to their quarters.

READERS’ VIEWS - Evening Telegraph 12 October 1939

RATIONS FOR THE FORCES

Statement at Burton Latimer Council Meeting
(To the Editor of the “Evening Telegraph”)
Sir. – I wish to dispute the report in connection with the Burton Latimer Council meeting.
I did not use the words “stealing.” “Tommies,” “parcels” “accuse” “went astray,” and “taken by.”
I served throughout the war in a minesweeper, and remember that trucks of fruit and vegetables were sent to the Base; the best were picked out, and it was often my job to take it to officer’s quarters.”
Yours truthfully A.V.MORLEY
22, Pioneer-avenue
Burton Latimer
12th October
P.S. – I said “truck” because a barrow is termed a truck in this county.