SOLDIERS’ NEXT OF LIN

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LIII, Issue 74, 28 March 1919, Page 3

SOLDIERS’ NEXT OF LIN

— HOW NOTIFICATIONS ARE MADE. WELLINGTON, This Day. Thousands, of New Zealanders are awaiting the wejcpme notification from "Haste 'Records that their 1 soldier relative is on his way to New Zealand. Therefore, they will be interested to knowhow the Defence Department deals with the next-of-kin of returning drafts. About fourteen days before a ship is due to arrive, Base Records sends out to the next-of-kin of each man aboard, a notification that cabled advice of the soldier’s return has been received, that he is on a boat named, and the probable date of arrival is mentioned. The re- ! cipient is advised to watch the newspapeis for any alteration in the arrival date. It will be seen from this that next-of-kin should carefully maintain at Base Reco'ds their correct address. The authorities do not object to noting even brief changes from the usual address, so long as they know- that they can reach the soldier’s relatives quickly with the notification. I

As the soldier is sent to his home' address as quickly as possible after disembarkation. his next-of-kin are advised to await him at home, and they will! receive a telegram' immediately the ship 1 arrives, mentioning the time at which the soldier should reach home. When j nexd-of-kin travel to the port of disembarkation, they often have to put up with the disappointment of not being able to travel back with their soldier! relative, as the special trains must be | reserved for the soldiers. -Though 1 the Defence Department docs nv>t-. encourage next-of-kin to visit the port of disembarkation, they afford special facilities on the wharf for the soldier’s relatives. Next-of-kin passes are obtainable by bona fide next-of-kin at the Defence Headquarters of the district where the Soldier will disembark, except in the case of Wellington, where the issue of these tickets is made from the mo'e conveniently situated office of Base Records, at the back of Government Buildin 5 5 .... .... an invalid soldier is sufficiently well to be granted a week’s leave he is allowed to go home for that period, and then report for treatment at a hospital. Where this cannot be done, and the soldier has to go sUaight into hospital, his wife and parents are entitled upon making application to Base Recede, Wellington, to receive free return railway warrants to visit the patient in hospital. If the soldier has no wife or parent, one railwa” warrant is available to his next-of-kin.