RECORDING CASUALTIES.

Colonist, Volume LVII, Issue 13793, 14 June 1915, Page 8

RECORDING CASUALTIES.

HOW THE WORK IS DONE,

A complete system of recording casualties in tli© New Zealand Expeditionary Force at tho New Zealand end has now been established, says the Wellington "Post.-*' In tho first week, when casualties began to bo reported, the work of advising relatives and publishing lists for tho information of the public was carried out under great difficulties, the ordinary staff of the Adjutant-General's Department having to cope with this as well as other urgent duties. Tho whole business was then under the immediate control of the Adjutant-General (Licut.-Colqnel Pilkiagton) and the Assiwtant-Adjut-ant-General (Captain Skelley). As soon as possible, however, a special Records Branch of the department was created and established in separate offices. This branch is now u;ider the direction of Captain E. Vine, though still a section of the department for which the Adjutant-General is responsible. With a staff of about a dozen clerks and the assistance of Mr. Broadfoot, an expert : in filing, the branch has been enabled to make headway in the establishment of a stem which, it is anticipated, will "make* future labours ■much lighter. They need to be made lighter. In the past month the officers of tho Department; have net spared themselves. Realising the anxiety of .the public and the relatives of men at the front, the officers have never thought of leaving their work while there was yet work to be done. As a result,, many of them' "Have worked far into the morning hours. Tho general public have little appreciation of the work entailed in tho recording and publishing of casualties. The cabled lists give only such information as is necessary to establish tho identity of a killed or injured man. Information as to his next-of-kin has to be obtained'from the files. The noxt-of-kin has then to be advised by telegram, and after all telegrams have had time to roach the relatives, the public lists are compiled'and issued. But this docs not represent th© whole of the work a£ the Records Branch, nor even the greater part of it. Men invalided homo have to pass through this office, and there are numerous inquiries from relatives to answer. In temporary offices the branch has not been working under conditions conducive to tho best'results, but new offices have now been obtained in St. George's Building, Brandon street, and thither Captain Vine and his staff will shortly be transferred.