POSITION CLARIFIED

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 5 December 1940, Page 6

POSITION CLARIFIED

MARRIED MEN AND WIDOWERS IN THE GENERAL RESERVE [United Press Association] WELLINGTON. This Day. The Hon. R. Ser. de to-day made a ; statement clarifying two popular misunderstandings regarding the position I of married men and widowers in the : General Reserve. He said it appeared to be generally known that men married on or after Ist May, 1940, were deemed unmarried for the purposes of 1 the regulations so long as they have no 1 children, but many reservists were not clear what happens on the birth of a child of such marriages. * A man drawn in a ballot is deemea to be transferred to the armeti forces the day following j the publication of his name in the ’ “Gazette.” Therefore if he is properly 1 gazetted as a first division reservist the subsequent birth of a child will not divest him of liability for service which 1 he has already incurred. In other words if he is childless on the day of the “Gazette” notice then he is a member of the armed forces, and will not be discharged solely on account of the j birth of the child. If, however, he was first drawn in the Territorial ballot and the child is afterwards born he will be excluded from any subsequent first division overseas ballot.” Mr Semple explained that contrary to' j wh»t was sometimes believed, widow-] ers were not transferred from the se- ; cond to the first division of the reserve ! or. the attainment of a certain age by 1 his child or youngest child. It followed that a widower with a child of any age : was in the second division. ; c