DEMOBILISED.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1965, 15 April 1919, Page 1

DEMOBILISED.

BASE RECORDS HONORARY STAFF. FOUR YEARS OF WAR. SERVICE. Wellington, This Day. After rendering extremely valuable service to the Defence Department at Base Records, the honorary staff has ceased its activities, as it is considered possible that Avith the return of so large a number of our soldiers, the permanent staff will be able to cope Avith the Avork. Rein lives of our soldiers all over New Zealand owe thanks to these Wellington ladies, aided by a few gentlemen, who rendered assistance to Base Records in “rush times,” enabling Avork to he done promptly Avhen the task Avould have been beyond the physical capacity of the permanent Base Records stall.

The voluntary si a 11' came into existence at the end of! 1915, when it was found that a new scheme <>l. dealing with casualties liad become imperative to avoid delays. An essential in the improved scheme then adopted was (hat there should he prepared in respect of every soldier who. had gone abroad a “history .sheet” containing all personal particulars, details of his movements, changes in rank, etc. To start this scheme meant I lie preparation from the existing tiles of ten thousand “history sheets.” The regular staff, which was only about 50 at that time, could not cope with this work', and temporary clerks were not obtainable. In this emergency, Major Norton Francis, Director of Ba.se Records, obtained permission to organise a morning session of thirty ladies as voluntary workers at Base Records, and a further number assisted by clerks from various others, the principals of which Avere approached and readily gave permission id lend some oi their employees for work in the afternoons. Then an appeal was made to (tie public service, and many employees of the Public Service Commissioner (again assisted iiy civilians occupied during the day) came to luc aid of the Defence Department during the evenings. By this means a slab' of thirty voluntary workers was employed nine hours per day.

No fewer than 15,000 history sheet.-, were thus written up by voluntary workers, and a system installed which proved to bo of incalculable value, especially in the p’Diiip nutilicalion of casu-lUes. then coming forward in very lawe numbers, IT'- work bas gone on under I lie auspices oi the W omen * National Receive for nearly nnr '/ears, Rase R. cords b-.-iag able to secure the assistance of the voluntary staff whenever any rush occurred, either through heavy casualties or later through the return of lame bodies of soldiers, when an enormous number of records had \o be classified and particulars prepared from the overseas Army forms. Everv voluntary Avorkcr has re-

ceived, at the direction of the Minister of Defence, a letter acknowledging in grateful terms the assistancerendered to the Defence Department during four years of very strenuous work. “Base Records has been very greatly assisted while working under extreme pressure,” states this acknowledgment, “by being able to

call upon a large body of additional helpers at short notice, and Avithout this help much delay would have occurred W e realise that without (lie aid of the voluntary staff at critical periods, the next-ot-kin of our absent soldiers would have been caused extra anxiety through delay in supplying all available information.”

An appreciation of this valuable work has also been rendered by (lie Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) and the Director of Base Records to the Executive of the Woman’s National Reserve, of which organisation all the ladies on the. vahmtarv staff Avere members. The

Women’s National Reserve was an important factor in fully maintaining the staff and thus keeping up the continuity of the work. The voluntary workers have received official thanks for four years’ splendid labour, and if the general public could realise all that the> have done, they would be efjiially grateful for this very line, well sustained Avar service rendered to the whole of New Zealand by the Avomen of Wellington.