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WORK COMPLETED

BASE RECORDS' HONORARY STAFF, The honorary staff that has assisted Base Records at "rush times" during the last four years has now ceased work. This staff, consisting of Wellington women, supported by a few men, came into existence at the end of 1915, when it was found that a new scheme of dealing with casualties had become imperative to avoid dolays. An essential in the improved scheme then adopted was that there should be prepared in respect of every soldier who had gone obroad a "history sheer containing ell personal particulars, details of his movements, changes in ranlc, etc. To start this schenje meant the preparation from the existing filos of ten thousand history sheets. The regular .staff, whicb was only about 50 at that .time, could not cope with this work, and temporary clerks were not obtainable. In this emergoncy Major Norton Director of Base Records, obtained permission •to organise a morning session of thirty laoifs M voluntary workers .at Base liecords, and a further number assisted by clerks from various offices, the principals of which wore approached and readily gave permission to lend some of their employees for work in the afternoon?. Then-'an appeal was made to the Public Service, and many employees of the Public Service Commissioner > (again assisted by civilians occupied daring the day) came to the aid of the Defence Department ouring the evenings. By this means a staff of thirty voluntary workers was emploved nine hours per daj. No fewer than 15,000 history sheete were thus written up by voluntary workers, and a system installed which proved to be of incalculable -vain?, • especially in the prompt notification of casualties, then coming forward in very large numers. The work lias gone on under the auspices of the : Women' 6 National Besorve for nearly four venrs, Base Records ■being ablo to secure tho assistance of the voluntary staff whenever any jusli occurred, either through heavy casualties or later through the return of large bodies of soldiers, when an enormous number of records had to be classified and particulars prepared from the overseas nnny forms. . Every voluntary worker has receiveo, 'nt the direction of the Minister of Defence, a letter acknowledging in grateful terms the assistance rendered to the Defence Department during four years of very strenuous work "Base Records has been very greatly assisted whilo working under exiremo pressure," states this acj knowledgment, "by being able to call | upon ,a largo body of additional helpers j at sliort notice, and without this help much .delay would have occurred. . . . I Wo realise that without the am' of t.he 'voluntary staff at critical periods the next-of-kin of our .absent foldiors would imve been caused extra anxiety through delay in supplying all available information."

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Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/DOM19190415.2.19

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 172, 15 April 1919, Page 5

Word count
Tapeke kupu
458

WORK COMPLETED Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 172, 15 April 1919, Page 5

WORK COMPLETED Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 172, 15 April 1919, Page 5

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