TO BE ISSUED SOON

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22513, 17 December 1947, Page 8

TO BE ISSUED SOON

MEMORIAL CROSS FOR NEXT-OF-KIN DECEASED SERVICEMEN (P.A.) DUNEDIN, Dec. 16. The distribution of the New Zealand Memorial Cross will commence early in the New Year, stated the Minister of Defence, Mr. F. Jones, today. The Minister said that the director of Base Records, Wellington, was now communicating' with next-of-kin of deceased servicemen in respect of whom the cross may be issued and was sending application forms on which claims may be lodged. Addresses Wanted Both the widow and mother of a deceased serviceman are eligible to receive the Memorial Cross, but as Base Records'M many cases has not full or up-to-date particulars of a serviceman’s family, application forms are being forwarded to the recorded next-of-kin requesting that he or she endeavour to have the forms completed by persons Eligible to claim the cross. In some few instances next-of-kin for various reasons may not be able to communicate with eligible claimants. For instance, where the recorded next-of-kin is a widow she may have no knowledge of the whereabouts of her late husband’s mother or family. Again, there will be cases where the next-of-kin address held by the services is now out of date resulting in the nondelivery of the letter. It is, therefore, suggested that any eligible person who does not receive an application form within a reasonable time should write to the director, Base Records, Wellington. Conditions of Issue Mr. Jones added that for the information .of intending. claimants the main conditions governing the issue of the cross were as follows: 1. A cross-may be issued only in respect of a serviceman who has lost his life as'a result of active service outside New Zealand during the Second World War or an ex-service-man who after his discharge from the forces has died from causes directly attributable to such active service. 2. Persons normally eligible to claim the cross are the deceased serviceman’s widow and his mother. 3. If the widow is not now living a serviceman’s eldest surviving daughter or eldest surviving son in that order of preference may claim. 4. If the mother is deceased a serviceman’s father may claim, or if he, too, is dead a claim may bo made by the serviceman’s eldest surviving sister or eldest suriving brother in that order.