DEATH CLAIMS

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20635, 15 August 1941, Page 4

DEATH CLAIMS

INSURANCE RISKS PRESUMED KILLED LATER PROVED ALIVE MISTAKES IN CASUALTIES (Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON, this day. Death claims being paid on the insurance policies of soldiers, presumed killed in action but subsequently reported to be alive, were mentioned in the House of Representatives yesterday, by the acting-Prime Minister, the Hon. W. Nash, who discussed at length the problems associated with the reporting of casualties, particularly following the evacuation from Crete. Two questions from members prompted his remarks. Mr. L. G. Lowry (Lab. Otaki), asked that when the soldiers were reported killed, steps should be taken to ensure the issue oi a certificate of death at the earliest moment so that the next-of-kin could lodge claims with the insurance companies. He instanced the case of an Otaki soldier, posted killed in Crete on May 15, but whose father was unable to finalise the insurance claim pending the issue of a death certificate. Another aspect of casualty reporting was raised by Mr. F. W. Doidge (Nat. Tauranga), who urged that something should be done to speed up the transmission of news to the n.ext-of-kin. There were cases on record, he said, of people all over the district knowing of the death of a New Zealand soldier overseas before the news reached the boy’s parents. Information had come by letter from men on active service. Unsatisfactory Position Replying to Mr. Lowry, Mr. Nash said that immediately advice was received from the service departments the casualties were registered by the registrar-general and certified copies of the entry could be obtained. The death of the soldier referred to was registered on June 19. No application from the father for a copy of the death certificate was recorded in the office of the registrar-general. Continuing, Mr. Nash said that he had had an investigation made by the Government Life Insurance Department, which reported that the position was very unsatisfactory. “We have had 20 cases of members of the forces, who were recorded as killed and who have now been reported as alive,” added Mr. Nash. Mr. Doidge: What about the men who are missing? The Minister replied that it was impossible, under the existing circumstances, to tell exactly what had happened to some of the missing, because they were still at large. Members would have recently seen accounts of a number of men at large in Crete. It Was not possible to say whether these men were wounded or sick, or whether the names of the men on the list of those not accounted for were killed.

“They may,” he added, “be alive and fighting in guerrilla warfare on the hills of Crete.” Information Contradicted

Three examples of death claims being made on the Government Life Insurance Department, when subsequent information contradicted the report of death, were quoted by the acting-Prime Minister. In the first instance, the registrar-general’s certificate of death was received by the department which paid a claim of £2ll. Now it was reported that the man concerned was missing and wounded. There was no evidence of his having been killed. Mr, S. G. Holland, Leader of the Opposition: Do the identification discs have to be collected in'the ease of men killed?

The Minister: If they can, but there are a number of men in areas in the Middle East where none of our people can go. However, in the case of the death of a member of the House, someone took his papers and was able to produce them. It is certainly disturbing not to know —it is the uncertainty of it.

Mr. Doidge: Your reply will not be very helpful to relatives. The acting Prime-Minister proceeded to quote further examples of claims made following the issue of certificates of death, and of other information being received subsequently, showing that the men concerned were not dead. The department was about to pay two claims when the men were reported to be prisoners of war. The Government, as far as possible, would take all steps to secure accurate information regarding casualties. They could obtain evidence regarding prisoners of war from a country looking after New Zealand’s interests, namely, the United States. He had received a list from the American Consul at Wellington, containing 18 names. Similar lists were also received from the International Red Cross, Geneva. “We are exploring every possible avenue to get the information required,” added Mr. Nash. Missing Men in Crete Mr. W. A. Bodkin (Nat. Central Otago): You have no information about the men from Crete as prisoners of war? Mr. Nash: There were numbers of men reported in Crete as wounded. There were numbers of men who did not get out of Crete. We have got evidence of the wounded and missing, but they may be dead. Until we complete the cleaning up of the position in Crete properly, this uncertainty must remain because many of the men may be at large. Outside Crete, all the information we can get, we are getting. The Minister then quoted a third case where, a certificate of death having been issued, the claim was paid. It had now transpired that this man was in the same unit in which two others in respect of whom claims had been made and who were now reported to be prisoners of war. So that it was also possible that, in the case of this man also, he was a prisoner of war, though evidence was not available. All this, concluded Mr. Nash, created difficulties for the next-of-kin, some of whom had spent the money and it could not be got back. The Government would not hold up the settlement of rightful claims, but members would see the difficulties created by all these uncertainties. The Government Life Insurance Department and, he thought, other life insurance companies also, were anxious to complete claims at the earliest possible moment.