π’ Discharged Soldiers' Information Department, Head Office
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- Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the), H.30, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1916, Volume II, Government Printer, Wellington, 1916.
- Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the), H.30, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1917, Volume II, Government Printer, Wellington, 1917.
- Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the), H.30, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1918, Volume II, Government Printer, Wellington, 1918.
- Paper Past website (National Library of New Zealand), http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast (accessed 26 January 2011).
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[history] => Establishment
The Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (sometime referred to as the Returned Soldiers Department, and the Information Department) commenced operations on 18 August 1915.1 It was responsible for assisting discharged soldiers secure suitable employment, as well as obtaining any information that the soldier required.
Functions and Responsibilities
The Government established the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department with the object of assisting discharged soldiers to secure suitable employment and to obtain any information that the soldier required to return to civilian life.
Committees were set up in principal towns to assist the Department in its duties. These local committees were advised of the names of men that required employment.
Provision had been made with the Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Industries for the training of soldiers in general farming, dairying, fruit farming, poultry raising, bee culture, and market gardening. Arrangements were also made for disabled men who were unable to follow their pre-war occupations to be trained in new trades at technical schools, workshops and factories. The New Zealand Society of Accountants supplied free clerical training, including book-keeping and general office practice, to partially disabled soldiers accredited by the Department, provided they had passed the Sixth Standard of Education.2
The Department registered all returning soldiers. An officer of the Department met every transport arriving in New Zealand with returned soldiers, and obtained in the case of each man the information necessary for the purposes of registration. A large part of the information was compiled during the voyage, but additional information such as the soldiers medical condition on arrival, address to which he was going, the period of leave granted, or the hospital or convalescent home the soldier was being transferred to were obtained by the Departments officer after the man had been examined by the Medical Board.3
The Department's register was written up from the information obtained on the transports, and formed a history card for each man.4 This card was kept under constant observation and remained unfiled until the case had been satisfactorily disposed of. At the same time the cards were being written up staff also scheduled particulars of each case to the Departments local committees, so that they had information regarding the men returning to their respective districts.5
A special feature of the Departments work was the personal interview, which determined the assistance each soldier required. This was done in conjunction with the Department of Defence, who advised the Department on the timing of a soldiers discharge. A Government office was then assigned to undertake the interview.
Each case was dealt with as follows:
- Disposed of (due to employment found, returned to old employment, rejoined the Military Forces, failed to reply to repeated communication, left New Zealand);
- Under action (men in the process of being personally interviewed, or men who had stated that they were not yet ready for work);
- On Employment wanted register (men who had just been discharged);
- Not ready for action (men who had yet to be discharged).6
Structure
The Department was headed by an officer-in-charge, who was reported to the Minister responsible for the Department. Officers were also based at the main New Zealand ports to meet the returning transports.
Special local committees, based on local patriotic societies, were established to assist the Department carry out its duties (in effect acting as the Departments local office). These committees were based in Whangarei, Dargaville, Auckland, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Thames, Paeroa, Waihi, Te Aroha, Rotorua, Tauranga, Opotiki, Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Dannevirke, Pahiatua, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Wanganui, Taihape, Marton, Feilding, Palmerston North, Levin, Nelson, Blenheim, Westport, Reefton, Greymouth, Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill, with a central advisory committee based in Wellington.7
Volunteer staff from the Government Insurance Department assisted the Department in keeping its register of returned soldiers up to date.
Disestablishment
The Discharged Soldiers' Information Department ceased operations in March 1919. It functions and responsibilities were taken over by the Repatriation Department, which had been established under the Repatriation Act 1918. The role of the new Department was expanded to cope with the large number of returning soldiers recently demobilised from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and other Imperial forces.
- p.1, H.30, AJHR 1917 Volume II.
- p.7, H.30, AJHR 1918 Volume II.
- ibid.
- an example of the History Card and other forms used by the Department to carry out its work can be found in the Appendices of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the) report, 1918.
- p.1, H.30, AJHR 1918, Volume II.
- ibid., p.2.
- ibid., p.9.
Show History
Establishment
The Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (sometime referred to as the Returned Soldiers Department, and the Information Department) commenced operations on 18 August 1915.1 It was responsible for assisting discharged soldiers secure suitable employment, as well as obtaining any information that the soldier required.
Functions and Responsibilities
The Government established the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department with the object of assisting discharged soldiers to secure suitable employment and to obtain any information that the soldier required to return to civilian life.
Committees were set up in principal towns to assist the Department in its duties. These local committees were advised of the names of men that required employment.
Provision had been made with the Department of Agriculture, Commerce and Industries for the training of soldiers in general farming, dairying, fruit farming, poultry raising, bee culture, and market gardening. Arrangements were also made for disabled men who were unable to follow their pre-war occupations to be trained in new trades at technical schools, workshops and factories. The New Zealand Society of Accountants supplied free clerical training, including book-keeping and general office practice, to partially disabled soldiers accredited by the Department, provided they had passed the Sixth Standard of Education.2
The Department registered all returning soldiers. An officer of the Department met every transport arriving in New Zealand with returned soldiers, and obtained in the case of each man the information necessary for the purposes of registration. A large part of the information was compiled during the voyage, but additional information such as the soldiers medical condition on arrival, address to which he was going, the period of leave granted, or the hospital or convalescent home the soldier was being transferred to were obtained by the Departments officer after the man had been examined by the Medical Board.3
The Department's register was written up from the information obtained on the transports, and formed a history card for each man.4 This card was kept under constant observation and remained unfiled until the case had been satisfactorily disposed of. At the same time the cards were being written up staff also scheduled particulars of each case to the Departments local committees, so that they had information regarding the men returning to their respective districts.5
A special feature of the Departments work was the personal interview, which determined the assistance each soldier required. This was done in conjunction with the Department of Defence, who advised the Department on the timing of a soldiers discharge. A Government office was then assigned to undertake the interview.
Each case was dealt with as follows:
- Disposed of (due to employment found, returned to old employment, rejoined the Military Forces, failed to reply to repeated communication, left New Zealand);
- Under action (men in the process of being personally interviewed, or men who had stated that they were not yet ready for work);
- On Employment wanted register (men who had just been discharged);
- Not ready for action (men who had yet to be discharged).6
Structure
The Department was headed by an officer-in-charge, who was reported to the Minister responsible for the Department. Officers were also based at the main New Zealand ports to meet the returning transports.
Special local committees, based on local patriotic societies, were established to assist the Department carry out its duties (in effect acting as the Departments local office). These committees were based in Whangarei, Dargaville, Auckland, Hamilton, Te Awamutu, Cambridge, Thames, Paeroa, Waihi, Te Aroha, Rotorua, Tauranga, Opotiki, Te Kuiti, Taumarunui, Gisborne, Napier, Hastings, Dannevirke, Pahiatua, Wairarapa, Taranaki, Wanganui, Taihape, Marton, Feilding, Palmerston North, Levin, Nelson, Blenheim, Westport, Reefton, Greymouth, Christchurch, Ashburton, Timaru, Oamaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill, with a central advisory committee based in Wellington.7
Volunteer staff from the Government Insurance Department assisted the Department in keeping its register of returned soldiers up to date.
Disestablishment
The Discharged Soldiers' Information Department ceased operations in March 1919. It functions and responsibilities were taken over by the Repatriation Department, which had been established under the Repatriation Act 1918. The role of the new Department was expanded to cope with the large number of returning soldiers recently demobilised from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and other Imperial forces.
- p.1, H.30, AJHR 1917 Volume II.
- p.7, H.30, AJHR 1918 Volume II.
- ibid.
- an example of the History Card and other forms used by the Department to carry out its work can be found in the Appendices of the Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the) report, 1918.
- p.1, H.30, AJHR 1918, Volume II.
- ibid., p.2.
- ibid., p.9.
- Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the), H.30, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1916, Volume II, Government Printer, Wellington, 1916.
- Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the), H.30, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1917, Volume II, Government Printer, Wellington, 1917.
- Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (Memorandum Regarding the Organization and Operation of the), H.30, Appendix to the Journals of the House of Representatives 1918, Volume II, Government Printer, Wellington, 1918.
- Paper Past website (National Library of New Zealand), http://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/paperspast (accessed 26 January 2011).
- π’ Repatriation Department, Head Office (1919 ‑ )
- πΌ Rehabilitation of war veterans (1915 ‑ 1991)
- π Discharged Soldiers' Information Department (1917 ‑ 1918)
- π Dominion of New Zealand (1915 ‑ 1919)