DOMINION NEWS

Grey River Argus, 21 July 1941, Page 5

DOMINION NEWS

REGISTER OF DEATHS OF MEN OVERSEAS. WELLINGTON, July 17. Provision for the compilation by the Registrar General at Wellington of a registry of all members of His Majesty’s forces who have been officially ‘reported missing or believed killed, is made in the Registration of Deaths Emergency Regulations, 1941, gazetted to-night. This special wartime registry will contain the names of these missing members of the forces, who are believed killed, but in respect of those whose death is not sufficiently certain to enable tne names to be included in the registry of deaths. The centralisation of this information will make it possible for relatives or other persons from any part of the country, to obtain, when required, a copy of the certificate of presumed death. To-night’s regulations also confirm the provision made last year for rue keeping by the Registrar General of a complete registry of known deaths of all members of the armed forces. The Evidence Emergencv Regulations, 1941, gazetted to-night provide that any officer of His Majesty’s naval, military or air forces, whether raised in New Zealand or elsewhere,, of the rank of lieutenantn-command-er, major, squadron-leader or thy equivalent rank may, while serving outside New Zealand .administer oaths to, and take affidavits from, any member of the forces. Such affidavits or oaths will be as effectual as if administered or sworn before anv lawful authority in New Zealand, and will be admissible in evidence without proof of the rank of an officer.