CASUALTIES.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXVII, Issue 17288, 2 October 1916, Page 6

CASUALTIES.

HOW THEY ABB REPORTED. NEW ZEALAND SYSTEM AT WORK. [From Our Correspondent.] WELLINGTON, September SO. The great length of tho casualty lists published in New Zealand this week lias turned public, attention more "keenly than ever upon the official method of making known the facts which mean so much to those who cannot go to tho front, but whose lot it is to wait and hope that all will be well with their kinsmen in the firing line. New Zealand is so many thousands of miles from the front that tho State has to incur an enormous bill for cabling, so as to keep relatives well informed on what is to most of us at present tho most important item of daily news. When Brown (to use a common but in this case' quite fictitious name) finds that he has been "knocked out," to use the soldier's parlance, he is removed as speedily and comfortably as possible from the firing line, and eventually reaches the New Zealand base. This is the spot on which all information relative to Now Zealand soldiers is centred, and when the casualties come in, lists commence to grow, and are cabled to the JSew Zealand authorities in .London. There has been naslo up to this point, but then there is usually eight days' interval before publishing tho reported casualties. The reason, apparently, is that the most serious cases, the killed and wounded, sometimes turn out to be wrongly reported. The eight days interval enaoies all the uncertainties to be cleared up, and the chance of a ghastly error in the way of reporting a missing man "killed," while he might be safe and sound while his relatives aro mourning, are reduced almost to zero.

From London, tho. casualties are cabled to the Director of Base Records, Wellington. Every man's name, and regimental number appears in the caule, thus enabling the staff in New Zealand to check errors, because it is unlikely that both the name and the number could _ be mutilated in cabling without the discovery being made hero that something is wrong. Then a corrected cable is requested, unless the error is so obvious that it can be safely corrected in New Zealand.

The arrival of a casualty cable means that the special staff in the Baso Records Office must work-till it has been disposed of. Even if this means ah all-night task, they have in mmd that there are anxious relatives to be considered, and they do not stop till all the telegrame aro ready. The cable as it reaches tin l Base Records does not contain the next of kin's nam». That is obtained by reference *to the wounded man's history sheet—every member of tho Expeditionary Force has a history sheet in this office. From the cable the man's name and number aro copied on to a small sheet, each case having its own sheet. This is coloured in different tints according to the nature of the casualty. Pink is the most common ono in Use, for it represents " wounded." From the cable clerk the pink sheet goes to the clerk who can at a momeut's notice pick out the man's sheet from thousands of others. The next of kin is then added, and in the process caro is taken to see that cabled namo and number agreo with the particulars, already on the history sheet. Tho telegram for the next of kin is now written, and marked '•'•argent." The history sheet has a fre&n entry inserted, showing the date on which tho soldier was wounded, and finally the typewritten casualty -lists are prepared and chocked; for publication in tho newspapers and through the post offices, after twenty-four hours have elapsed-, this interval being to mnko sure relatives get news from official sources instead of having to run the risk of first seeing the dreaded announcement in the Press. This week has been a heavy one for the casualty staff—and full of sadness for many New ifealanders. On Tuesday a short casualty cable came in at ono o'clock. Thero was no question of luncheon—tho process of checking and, notification which I have described commenced immediately, and more : cables came in before it could be com-, pleted. So the staff, reinforced 'by others who volunteered from the Base Records Office, kept up their duty till I a.m., by which time they had dealt with '613 casualty reports. This meant the sending of over twelve hundred telegrams, as well as the checking anc entering routine. When reports regarding the progress of the wounded come to hand, they aro regarded as the most urgent duty, just as are the original casualty reports, and notifications telegraphed to relatives. Nearly every casualty has its aftermath of inquiry from relatives for more information. The Base Records Office has published all it has received, while the relative may send throe cables at the Government's cost, to set-are news oi the wounded man's progress. , WOUNDS DEFINED.

Some months ago the Defence Department issued a statement defining the terms used in casualty reports. Wounds were classified thus:

"Slightly wounded": Able to resume duty immediately after being attended to- " Wounded": Not badly hurt, but requiring treatment, and not able to resume duty for a short period. "Seriouslv wounded": Any wound that might' become complicated, such as a bullet wound through, the abdomen, trunk or chest. "Dangerously wounded": Wounds likelv to end in death. If' this' classification were followed as far as possible in every casualty cable from England, an enormous amount of anxiety would bo saved to relatives at this end. " Wounded,"_ as cabled to-day, seems to mean anything from a slight injury to one that is mortal. If the Government .could make some arrangement to have the classification followed, it would benefit as well as tho men's relatives, becauso tho free cables would not be needed so frequently. As tho casualty reports emanato from the New Zealand base in Frunce, it ought to be possible to carry out this improvement in a system which in most other respects shows every regard for the feelings of our soldier's relatives.