MEMBERS OF 'J' FORCE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 60, 8 April 1946, Page 2

MEMBERS OF 'J' FORCE

REHABILITATION AID POSITION OUTLINED The position with regard to future rehabilitation assistance to members of "J" Force, or 2 N.Z.E.F. Japan, was discussed at the monthly meetin of the Rehabilitation Board.

It was submitted that the servicemen concerned fell into threee groups. First there were those who were serving overseas when hostilities ended and were transferred to Japan. In the case of these men it was decided, to treat them on the Board's existing policy, that is immediate eligibility for all relevant forms of rehabilitation assistance of those who had served six months in a forward area before the end of hostilities or whose total overseas service was 12 months or more. Also to be treated on present policy lines are those in the second group, that is men who voluntarily enlisted in New Zealand for duty in Japan and who had seen previous service. It was agreed that such previous service should be taken into account in assessing immediate eligibility. The third group were those who had enlisted voluntarily in the Dominion for occupational duty but had no previous service. The decision arrived at by the Board was that the test of eligibility should be whether interruption to careers or the effect on their civil position could be established. If men in this last category are unable to establish a claim for immediate assistance under that heading they will be dealt within the same manner as other garrison troops with similar service.