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DEMOBILISED.

(Base records honorary staff. FQtiR YEARS OF WAR SERVICE. i Wellington, Yesterday. 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 with the return of so large a number of our soldiers, the permanent staff will be able to cope with the work. Relatives 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 work to be done promptly when the task would have been beyond the physical capacity of the permanent Base Records staff.

The voluntary staff 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 delays. An essential in the improved scheme then adopted was that there should be prepared in respect of every soldier who had gone abroad, a "history sheet" in rank, etc. To start this scheme meant the preparation from the existing files 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 Base Eecords, 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 offices, the principals of which were approached and readily gave permission to lend some of their employees for work in the afternoons. Then an appeal was made to the public service, and many employees of the Public Service Commissioner (again assisted by civilians occupied during the day) came to the aid of the Defence Department during the evenings. By this means a staff of thirty voluntary workers was employed nine hours per day. No fewer than 15,000 hißtorv sheets were thus written up by voluntary workers, and a system installed which proved to be of incalculable value, especially in the prompt notification of casualties, then coming forward in very large numbers. The work has gone oa under the auspices of the Women's National Reserve for nearly four years, Base Records being able to secure the assistance of the voluntary staff /whenever any rush occurred, either through heavy casualties or' later through the return of large bodies of soldiers, when an enonnous number of records had to be classified and particulars prepared from the overseas army forms. Every voluntary worker has received, at 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 haß 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 without this help much delay would have occurred .... Wi realise that without the aid of the voluntary staff at critical periods, the next-of-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 the Minister of Defence (Sir James Allen) and the Director of Base Records to the Executive of the Women's National Reserve, of which organisation all the ladies on the voluntary staff were members. The Women's National Reserve was an important factor in fully maintaining the Btaff and thus keeping up the continuity of the work. The voluntary workers have received official thanks for four years' splendid labor, and if the general public could realise all that they have done, they would be equally grateful for this very fine, well sustained war service rendered to the whole of New Zealand by the women of Wellington.

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/TDN19190417.2.15

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1919, Page 3

Word count
Tapeke kupu
637

DEMOBILISED. Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1919, Page 3

DEMOBILISED. Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1919, Page 3

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