Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Problems of 2 NZEF

Appendix X — STANDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2 NZEF — Compensation for the Loss of Officers' Kits

page 306

Appendix X
STANDING INSTRUCTIONS FOR 2 NZEF
Compensation for the Loss of Officers' Kits

(Issued in conjunction with 2 NZEF Order No. 173 of 1944)

HQ 2 NZEF

Q67/3

31 Mar 44

To List ‘Z’

Note: These instructions cancel Standing Instructions for 2 NZEF—Compensation for the loss of Officers' Kit, reference 31/14/5089 of 20 Aug 41—and embody all instructions and orders issued up to and including 2 NZEF Orders Serial 18/44.

(1) The circumstances under which officers may be compensated for loss of kit are:

(a)

Loss or damage resulting directly from enemy action and such as is not attributable in any way to neglect on the part of the owner to exercise such care in the custody of his effects as the exigencies of the service permit.

(b)

Loss occasioned through it being abandoned under orders.

(2) Loss or damage of kit under other circumstances will not be accepted as a basis for claims, and officers are advised to insure their kits against any such loss or damage. Compensation will not be allowed if indemnification in respect of the loss has been, or can be, obtained from other sources, e.g., insurance. Theft of articles from NZ Base Kit Store or loss of kit in transit from CCS to hospital, for instance, are insurable risks, and compensation will not be allowed.

(3) Appendix ‘A’ to this memorandum sets out the authorised scale of clothing and necessaries to be provided and maintained by an officer of the 2 NZEF.1

(4) On departing for a sphere of active operations, an officer may take with him kit up to a maximum weight of 65 lb in the case of an officer of the rank of Lt-Col and above, and 50 lb in the case of all other officers. Special instructions will be issued if, in any circumstances, the above is to be exceeded.

(5)

(a)

When the conditions as laid down in para (4) apply, compensation will be limited to the articles set out in Appendix ‘B’ hereto.2Claims for loss or damage to the remaining authorised articles, which will be normally left at NZ Base Kit Store during operations, will only be accepted when such loss is directly due to enemy action and is not otherwise insurable.

page 307
(b)

Subject to suitable depreciation, compensation for the loss by enemy action of privately owned instruments and text books may be granted to officers of the NZ Medical Corps up to £5 for instruments and £5 for books. Similar compensation up to the same scale may be paid to other technical officers who use privately owned books and instruments for Public Service, when free issues to individual officers are not available from store, or where the issue of private instruments and/or books was necessary owing to short supply of authorised unit equipment.

(6)

(a)

Articles held by officers in excess of those laid down in Appendix ‘A’ or ‘B’ hereto, or of such as are covered by para (5) (b) above, are retained at the officers' own risk. No claims for compensation in respect of articles in excess of schedules will be admitted under any circumstances.

(b)

The total amount of compensation payable will not in any circumstances exceed the value of £50 stg. this being the amount paid on receiving first commission in 2 NZEF. The term ‘total amount’ comprises:

(i)

Any grant made in cash, and

(ii)

Value of articles replaced from Ordnance stores, where these are not normally a free issue.

(7) The principle of compensation is not to indemnify an officer for all that he may have lost, but rather to enable him to re-equip himself for service in the field. In consequence, an officer who becomes incapacitated will receive only such monetary grant (or articles in replacement of others lost) as may be necessary in his incapacitated state. The balance may be granted at a later date if he becomes fit and again enters a theatre of active operations. The authority which approves of compensation will decide at the time what items of clothing, or articles of equipment, should be regarded as necessary for an officer who is incapacitated or may delegate this duty to a uniformity committee. Compensation will be assessed at sterling rate.

(8) When an officer is evacuated on account of wounds or sickness from the Base Area before he has an opportunity to provide himself with the articles of clothing which are authorised as compensation, his monetary grant for such articles may be adjusted to conform with local prices by the local military authority authorised to make such adjustments.

(9) Whenever compensation is approved, articles will be replaced as far as possible from Ordnance store. In other cases, compensation will be limited to the amount payable locally for a reasonably serviceable article of a like nature to that lost or damaged. Excessively high prices for such items as presentation articles cannot be allowed.

(10) Clothing (including boots) worn out through fair wear and tear and discarded will be replaced by the owner from his uniform upkeep allowance and will not be included in claims for compensation even though order to abandon kit may have been issued.

(11) The above general instructions may be amplified from time to time to cover special circumstances, such as the fact that permission was granted to take an advanced base kit, or that instructions were issued deleting certain items from the list given in Appendix ‘B’.

page 308

(12)

(a)

Officers who have suffered loss of kit under circumstances entitling them to be compensated, therefore, will submit claims on NZEF Forms 27 and/or 28. After being completed by the claimant and certified by his CO, claims will be forwarded through the usual channels to the Claims Uniformity Committee HQ 2 NZEF or in the case of Officers in MEF to Claims Uniformity Committee HQ NZ Maadi Camp.

(b)

The Committee will comprise:

(i)

In the case of 2 NZEF CMF—

President: An Officer of HQ 2 NZEF

Member: An Officer of 2 NZ Div

Member: An Officer of NZ Pay Corps

(ii)

In the case of 2 NZEF MEF—

President: An Officer of HQ NZ Maadi Camp

Member: An Officer who has recently served in the field, to be appointed by HQ NZ Maadi Camp

Member: An Officer of NZ Pay Corps

(c)

Claims when passed by the committee will be sent to Chief Paymaster 2 NZEF or Paymaster HQ NZ Maadi Camp who will advise claimant where settlement may be obtained.

(13) Form 27 covers items which can normally be replaced from Ordnance stocks, a list of such items being enumerated in para (2) thereof. Form 28 covers those items for which a monetary grant may be claimed, a list of such items being enumerated in para (2) thereof.

(14) Claims will be reviewed by a Uniformity Committee to be set up at the time. The committee will decide upon the value to be paid for individual articles, and if circumstances allow, will notify claimants of these values before claims are presented.

(15) A considerable responsibility is thrown upon COs to ensure that while on the one hand the officer is compensated to a reasonable degree, on the other hand the State is not put to unjustified expense.

(16) An officer who removes his equipment for his greater comfort is not absolved from his responsibility for the safe custody of such equipment, and if in consequence of his removing his equipment he gets separated from it or loses it or it becomes damaged, he has no claim for compensation or replacement at Public expense and is liable to be called upon to show that the loss, etc., was not due to negligence on his part.

(17) Claims for articles which are replaceable from Ordnance stocks will be replaced under arrangements made by ADOS, NZ Div or Base Ordnance Depots.

(18) Pending settlement of claims officers should proceed to re-equip themselves without delay. In special cases, where officers find themselves short of money, the Paymaster will make an advance of up to £10 against claims page 309 submitted, pending the final decision of the Uniformity Committee. Such advance, where required, will be drawn from the Paymaster by Special Voucher, and not as an overdrawal of pay.

(19) Officers will lodge their claims as soon as possible while facts are fresh in their minds. All claims should be submitted within at least three months.

W. G. Stevens,

Brigadier,
Officer in Charge Administration 2 NZEF

1 Appendix ‘A’ is not reproduced.

2 Not reproduced.