RETURNING DRAFTS.

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 16 January 1919, Page 3

RETURNING DRAFTS.

THE LATEST

ARRANGEMEETS.

WHEN NAMES ARE

AVAILABLE,

CLOSE to the shores of. New Zealand, or to be on the water by February 10th, are 10,500 New Zealand soldiers returning from England. There are also three ships en route from Egypt with New Zealanders, carrying about 1,400 men, and due about the end of this month.

"^Publication of these facts usually results in the Base Records Department being deluged with inquiries from the 1 relatives of soldies as to whether their particular kinsman is on j board one of the ships. This is a vain and fruitless task, disappointing to the relatives and also to a Department anxious to oblige them with news, for the information is not available until a short time before the arrival of the transport, and immediately it comes, it is sent out to the , next of kin. It is always possible to forward the embarkation state of a transport ahead of the shir>, and the information arrives in ample time to enable relatives to make arrangements for the reception of their soldier friends. But until the Base Records receives the embarkation state, it is in no better position than the relatives to say whether particu" lar men are on any ship. Fourteen days before the probable date of the arrival of a transport, a notice is sent to the soldier's next oi kin, stating that he will arrive within the next fortnight. Relatives should await the arrival of this notification, for earlier inquiries will produce negative results, simply causing congestion of work in a busy Department. Finally, from the first port of arrival of the vessel, a telegram is sent to the next of kin stating that he will reach his home by a particular train, or if immediate hospital treatment is advisable, the telegram will give the relatives this information.