BASE RECORDS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 134, 1 March 1919, Page 7

BASE RECORDS

A NEW DIRECTOR APPOINTED. It 19 announced that Major . Norton Francis ig retiring from the post of Director of Base Kecords. He is being succeeded by Major J, G. Roache, D.5.0., a returned soldier.who formerly was/on tho staff of the Public Health Departluent. ' Major Norton Francis was the first Director of- Base Records. Base Records is a war Department, the rapid development of which from small -proportions to a large soparat© Department of .-the Defence administration is typical of the tasks faced under, .the stress of war's demands. When the, Samoan Contingent, the Main Body, and tho First Eeinforce- . ments were constituted their records were made out at ' the District Headquarters'of the Defence Department in the four chief centres, anil wero- eventually transferred'to a small office in the Wellington Garrison Hall,- under the charge of Lieutenant Liardet, ivlm was iinder the direct supervision of the Assistant Adjutant-General. When Lieu-' tenant,, Liardet proceeded' on activo ser- • (vice Captain Vino took charge of these records on June 1, 1915. The Gallipqli' casualties commericcd : to be reported in large numbers, thus throwing a new and heavy responsibility'on tbe small- ■ Department. in August of - the same year,. Captain B.vN. Fraser, ' Jj'.Z.S.C:, was-appointed officer in charge ' of-'Base: Records, Captain Vine being : given control of the -. casualty section. ' Three'months later tho work had grown ' "to such magnitude that in view of this ■" fact and the. increasing -duties-of the.id-jutant-General'a Department it was decided to make. Baso Records a hpecial '■•' branch, Major Norton Francis, of Headquarters Staff, being-appointed Director, " 6nd.Captain Fraser Assistant Director. -