In August 1940 with the Battle of Britain raging half a world away, Cambridge launched a fundraising appeal to assist in the purchase of further fighter aircraft for the Royal Air Force. This appeal was in fact happening right across New Zealand and was begun by the New Zealand Herald newspaper. The money raised in Cambridge was to be sent to Auckland, from where it would be forwarded onto Britain.

The appeal ran several weeks and on the 16th of September it was reported in the Waikato Independent newspaper as ‘definitely closed”. The Independent was fully behind the appeal, and as well as providing its own office premises as the place to drop off donations, the paper also reported frequently on the appeal's progress, with acknowledgements to the individuals who gave money. Mention was even made of exactly how much each person gave, and on the 16th a full list of Cambridge contributors was reprinted. Nearly £209 was raised by the townspeople of Cambridge, and the country overall managed to raise a sum of more than £33,000, which was reported as able to pay for five new fighters.

Here are the figures published in the newspaper on the 16th of September 1940:

 

Back Them Up!

Messrs. W. Souter & Co. £10 10/

Mr J.A. Wallace £10 10/

Mr Frank M. Gardner £10

Messrs. Sayers & Ward £10

Commander R.W. Moorhouse £10

Mrs Helen Masterton £10

Mr and Mrs H. Webb £10

Bruntwood-Hautapu Sewing Circle £10

Mr. C.G. Vosper £7 7/

Old Kairangi Settlers £6 4/

Messrs. Wilkinson & Co Ltd £5 5/

Dr and Mrs H.C. Tod £5 5/

Mrs H.C. Moore £5 5/

Mr T. Wynn Brown £5 5/

Mr and Mrs J.D. Clemow £5 0/

Mrs L. Price £5

Mr C. Waghorne £5

Mr and Mrs J. Brackenridge £5

Mr and Mrs K. Butler £5

The Hewetts, Roto-o-Rangi £5

Miss J. Mackereth £5

Mr and Mrs H.E. Davys £5

Mr and Mrs J.C. Potts £5

Anonymous £5

Mr and Mrs F. Thorpe £5

Mr and Mrs W. Munroe £3 3/

Mr and Mrs H. Giles 2 2 0

Karapiro Women's Institute £2 2/

C.W. Vennell & Co Ltd £2 2/

Miss G.M. Swears £2

“Ad Astra” £2

Cambridge Golf Club £2 1/

Mr and Mrs Edwin James £1 1/

Miss D. Moore £1 1/

Miss C.B. Moore £1 1/

Miss G.L. Brann £1 1/

Mr Walter Hubbard £1 1/

Mr and Mrs Frank Hall £1

A Yorkshire Woman £1

Bob £1

Mr R. Newling 13/

Miss C. Willis 10/ 6d

Miss S. Brann 10/ 6d

Bardowie Golf Club 10/

Wellwisher 10/

L.B. 10/

Mr A. Jamieson Senr. 10/

Miss E.M. Willis 10/

Total £208 16/ 0d