BASE RECORDS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23155, 29 September 1938, Page 7

BASE RECORDS

ROMANTIC STORIES COMMONWEALTH FILES EX-SOLDIERS' SERVICE NUMEROUS LETTERS HANDLED [from OUII OWN COnnKSI'ONDENT] MELBOURNE. Sept. 20 Posted as killed in notion early in the Great War, a former Australian soldier recently wrote to his parents from the United States, Ee had left his regiment, joined an American detachment in the Jield and become a naturalised citizen of the United States. This is one <:f the romantic stories, bound in the red tape of 51)0,000 tiles of Base Record-:, which are now being moved from Melbourne to the National War Memorial at Canberra. The removal is another step in the gradual process of centralising Government departments at Canberra. The Defence Department and the Postmaster-Gen-eral's Department are the two major Federal activities' still with headquarters in Melbourne. Laconically recording the identity and details of service of all who served with the Australian Imperial Forces in tho Great War, this unique compilation still provides a useful service for soldiers who returned and for tho dependants of those against whoso names a final entry has been made. Many Inquiries for Service Records A staff' of less than 12 now handles every month at least 1000 inward and 900 outward letters dealing with the affairs of the men on record. A vast number of inquiries como from exsoldiers, who apply for copies of their service records when they ha<*c lost the discharge certificates that arc valuable in obtaining employment.

Many of the letters come from Government sources, especially from New South Wales, where the operation of the preference to returned soldiers legislation leads to heavy demands for confirmation of the claims of soldier applicants for employment. Similar work is undertaken by Base Records for the Invalid and Old Age Pensions Department, the War Service Homes Commission, public trustees, curators and solicitors handling the wills of soldiers who died on active service.. Base Records has tho custody of fiO.OOO unclaimed war medals, which comprise 4000 191-1-15 stars, 27,000 British war medals, 29,000 Victory medals, and many decorations, chiefly Military Medals. This is a striking commentary on the characteristic casualties of the Australian soldier toward decorations gallantly earned. Stigma of Desertion Removed An incident which occurred soon after last Anzac Day is typical. A middleaged business man called at Base Records "My son watched tho Anzac inarch, and asked where my medals were," he said. "Of course, I had not bothered about tlicm before. I thought T would blow along and sec if they were here." The records have often established beyond doubt tho identity of men marked "missing" during tho war and whose bodies were recovered as recently as January of this year. Brief official entries between the covers of an old filo were instrumental in removing this year the stigma of desertion from the jiamo of a man who had been posted as having been "illegally missing" from his unit during the war. After considerable research it was found that tho man had had a good previous record and that he was reported missing during heavy enemy artillery fire. Officials of Base Records recommended that this man bo recorded as "killed in action." As a result the Commonwealth Government lias decided to pay to his widow, since remarried, and his child, the war pensions, of which they had been deprived.