IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 188, 12 August 1941, Page 6

IMMEDIATE ATTENTION

ADVICE ON CASUALTIES RELATIVES’ ANXIETY MAKES EXTRA WORK (Press Assn.) Wellington. Aug. 7. Anxiety on the part of the next-of-kin and relatives of soldiers to ascertain the latest information concerning casualties and prisoners of war was causing a considerable amount of extra work at the office of the New Zealand High Commissioner in London, said the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, to-day. The Government fully appreciated and sympathised with the natural desire of relatives to have all possible information when notification of a casualty was received, but he wished again to stress the fact that as further particulars became available the information was forwarded to the next-of-kin by the Director of Base Records, Wellington.

Mr. Jones said that he felt sure that those who communicated with the High Commissioner in London did not fully realise that all available information in the case of casualties or prisoners of war was sent to New Zealand immediately it became available. The system" under which the casualty lists are dealt with at Base Records ensure that the next-of-kin are in possession of all available particulars within a few hours of receipt of the list from overseas.

It would be seen from the lists published that corrections were frequently received. The same procedure of advising the next-of-kin was adopted with the corrections as with the other casualties, added the Minister. It had to be remembered that inquiries sent to London made extra work for a staff that was endeavouring to carry on under trying and difficult war conditions, and anything that could be done to lighten their burden should be done. Quite apart from this aspect of the position, the High Commissioner was not in possession of any more information than had already been communicated to the next-of-kin of the soldier.