ISSUE OF MEDALS.

Digger (Invercargill RSA), Issue 41, 24 December 1920, Page 5

ISSUE OF MEDALS.

WORK BEING PUSHED ON. Ihe issue of medals and Illuminated' Cer. tificates of Service for the N.Z.E.F. is being pushed 011 with all possible speed by the Defenca Department, and to date practically all 19i4-lo Stars have gone out, wliile 25,000 certificates have b.een issued. Wliere there have been delays the soldiers themselves are said to be wholly responsible by reason of the fact that they have failed to notify their change of address or have not returned to the Depart. ment tne B.R. 388 (draft of service particulars) sent to» them. These forms, showing the medals earned, the period of service, and theatres of operations, are addressed to soldiers in the following terms : — "As it is hoped that it may shortly be possible to issue the British War Medal a.nd Illuminated Certificate of Service, it is desired to give you an opportunity of agreeing with the information held by this office concerning yourself, and which will be contained on the medal "and certificate or other documents yet to be issued, as medals and documents once issued can only be altered at the recipient's -expense. Will you please, therefore, check the particulars on the back hereof and return this form complete to me as early as possible after appending your signature in the space provided at [ the foot? Do not omit to advise this office of any change of address." Addressed and stamped envelopes are enclosed with the forms, but despite this, forms posted to soldiers early in August have not been replied to, and as a consequence no medals or certificates have been issued in these cases. On the other hand, many ex-members of the N.Z.E.P. haxe expressed appreciation of the opportunity offered them by the Department to check their searvice records, and have rendered all the assistance necessary by promptly returning the forms. There are more than 200,000 medals and 80,000 certificates to issue, and the auccess of such an undertaking demands strict adherence to the system employed, therefore Diggers are assured of early attention if the above r.equest is complied with, and only lengthy delay in issues and additional cost to the

Department, in leaving it "until to-mor-row." In his own interests each soldier should bear in mind that the form signed by himself becomes the Department's authority to make the issues and that medals and certificates to which he is entitled cannot possibly go out until this authority has reached the Officer-in-Charge War Ac. counts and Records, Wellington, to whom changes of address should also be notified. In connection with the issue of medals the Defence Department also states that it is posting the Illuminated Certificates of Service in strong postal tubes, the cost of which has been a heavy item, but the expense is justified, as the certificates

should reach the soldiers undamaged. That many Diggers have shown great carelessness in attempting to extract the certificates is evidenced by the fact that a large number of forms have been returned to the Department slashed with knives, and in some cases the tubes have been cut in half, the certificates, of course, suffering a similar fate. The certificate can be easily removed by withdrawing it from one end of the tube with the fingers.