MEMORIAL PLAQUES

Ellesmere Guardian, Volume XLIII, Issue 2567, 19 April 1922, Page 6

MEMORIAL PLAQUES

ADDRESSES WANTED

As a result of being unable to obtain ■the addresses of next-of-kin of deceased soldiers in a large number of cases, the Defence Department is in possession of quite a number of unclaimed memorial plaques and scrolls. With this exception the work of despatching the memorials issued on account of those members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died overseas is practically completed. Plaques and scrolls are distributed under regulations which prescribe that the recipients are to be the nearest of kin of the deceased at the date when the plaque and scroll were posted, and there is no question of legal succession. Those who are entitled to memorials on account of soldiers who died overseas but have not received them should at once notify the Officer in Charge, War Accounts and Records Office, Wellington, who is also receiving applications for plaques and scrolls on account of those soldiers who have died as a direct result of war service subsequent to being discharged from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

I It has been decided to issue memorial plaques to next-of-kin of those mem bers of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who did not have overseas service but died while in camp. Applications for these plaques should be made immediately by the next-of-kin to the officer in charge, War Accounts and Records.

| It is almost inconceivable that nearly 114,000 members of the Expeditionary Force have failed to notify the officer in ' charge, War Accounts and Records of their addresses or changes of addresses so that he can issue to them the war 'medals and certificates of service with the N.Z.E.F. This particularly up plies to men discharged overseas who havp returned to New Zealand. Almost every clay men write complaining of delay in issuing medals, and it is &1jmost invariably found that the cause of the delay is due to the fact that the medals have been posted to the last I kneuwn address of the soldier and have been returned through the Dead Letter ', Office.

■ : .1 I The Department is now' completing the writing of illuminated certificates,. ' and the unclaimed ones will be stored and delivered as the addresses of the '' soldiers become known.

No doubt as Anzac Day approaches many urgent requests will be received for the urgent despatch of medals and certificates.