THE WAR IN KENT

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22320, 3 May 1947, Page 4

THE WAR IN KENT

R.S.A. ELIGIBILITY RULE TO BE WIDENED U.K. FORCES VETERANS Three Gisborne women at least are closely interested in a ruling secured by the New Zealand Returned Services’ Association from the British Legion headquarters in London, on the eligibility for veterans’ status of ex-mem-bers of combat units who served through the war in the United Kingdom. The New Zealand association’s qualification is limited to those who served beyond the limits of the country in which the individual was mobilised for service. By the letter of this rule all United Kingdom service personnel who did not go abroad from Britain would be barred from membership in the New Zealand ex-servicemen’s organisation, although all personnel of United Kingdom forces who had served outside the British Isles would be eligible. Eligibility qualifications have been under discussion since a number of war brides reached New Zealand, several of them having had long service in mobilised forces in England. The three Gisborne girls are among this group, and the district R.S.A. has been anxious to extend membership privileges to them. British Headquarters Comment It was advised, however, that the matter was being taken up with the British Legion to ascertain whether service in the United Kingdom could be regarded as service in a war area. The circumstances of a number of typical cases were outlined in the New Zealand association’s letter to the British Legion, including those of a Gisborne resident who formerly served at an air station at Manston, Kent. The reply of the British Legion has been sent to the Gisborne organisation. Its purport is that Britain was not divided in war theatres and non-war theatres, so far as is known, but that the Legion admitted to membership all who had served for a stated period in the mobilised forces, described as ‘ embodied” forces, within the time limits covering the two world wars. Regarding the case of the young woman who had served at Manston, the letter stated: “Manston really had a terrible time during the war, and anyone who served there, was quite definitely in a combat area!” The New Zealand R.S.A. executive has advised the Gisborne association to admit the three women, and to cover the question of eligibility will sponsor a remit to the forthcoming Dominion conference involving a widening of the rules for overseas personnel.