WAR RECORD

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23968, 8 June 1943, Page 2

WAR RECORD

POST AND TELEGRAPH DEPARTMENT' A total of 5530 employees of the Post and Telegraph Department have been released for service with the Armed Forces. This is stated in the annual report of the department, which adds that the department has had to request exemption for 1584 employees. the majority of the men retained being employed on urgent telegraph and telephone construction work directly connected with the Dominion’s war effort. Casualties among departmental employees are given as: Killed in action 42, died of wounds 14. death officially presumed 24, accidentally killed 14, died from sickness 5. died while prisoners of war 5, dead (unclassified) 2, missing 48. wounded 110, prisoners of war 154—a total of 418. Fifteen officers have received decorations for meritorious service and 15 others have been specially mentioned in dispatches. The report gives the totals of employees at April 1 this year as 12.020 on the permanent staff. 5576 on the temporary and casual staff (these two including 5530 in the armed forces), and. 1622 on the non-permanent staff (country postmasters and telephonists, including railway officers)—an overall total of 19.218.