THE GLORIOUS DEAD.

Auckland Star, Volume LX, Issue 134, 8 June 1929, Page 11

THE GLORIOUS DEAD.

MEMORIAL PLAQUE AND SCROLL.

ISSUE TO NEXT-OF-KIN.

Tho Defence Department has received advice that it has been decided by His Majesty's Government in Great Britain to extend the issue of the memorial plaque and scroll, which, was originally designed to commemorate those who los.t their lives in tho Great War, to the next-of-kin of all those members of the N.Z.E.F. who have died since the war, but before September 1, 1928, and whose deaths were attributable to war service. The memorial takes the form of a bronze plaque of emblematic design and a parchment scroll with appropriate wording, and with each there is a letter from His Majesty. The memorial scrolls have been received by the Defence Department and are to be issued to the blood next-of-kin of the deceased soldiers. The memorial plaques . have not yet arrived, but are expected in a few months' time. Under the regulations, the memorials will be issued to the deceased soldiers' blood next-of-kin at the time of distribution (not the next-of-kin of the original next-of-kin, who may have died in the meantime). There is no question of legal succession to them and they will not be issued to any legatee under a will in preference to the surviving next-of-kin. The following is the order of next-of-kin as authorised:—

Widow, eldest surviving son, eldest surviving daughter, father, mother, eldest surviving brother, eldest surviving sister, eldest surviving half -brother, eldest surviving half-sister, and so on. Application for the memorials should be addressed to N.Z.E.F. Base Eecords Office, Wellington, and every applicant should quote the full name of the soldier concerned, his regimental number and also the applicant's relationship to the soldier and the address to which the plaque and scroll is to be posted. If the applicant is not the nearest blood next-of-kin, he or she should give the name, address and relationship to the soldier of the one to whom the memorials should be issued, in accordance with the above list. It should be noted that memorials are not issued v/iless the death was the result of war service, and that it occurred before September 1, 1928.