Abroad?

Are They at Home or Abroad?

Territorians and Australian War Gratuity

AUSTRALIAN Servicemen are to re ceive a war gratuity of 2/6 per day while serving overseas (which in cludes Papua and New Guinea) and of 6d. per day while serving in Australia.

Territorians who are members of the Australian Forces are anxious to know how they stand. Their problem is neatly set out in the following two questions which have been addressed to the respon sible authorities by a well-known New Guinea man at present residing in Queensland: In one case it was asked if returned Servicemen, who had left homes in New Guinea, Papua or other Australian Paci fic Territories and enlisted in Australia for service at home or abroad, but who were retained in Australia, will be classi fied as having served abroad and so be eligible for the 2/6 per day gratuity money. It was pointed out that these men were not domiciled in Australia.

The second question was: Are members of the unit ANGAU, who were in Austra lian Pacific Territories at the time of their impressment into the Army in Feb ruary, 1942, entitled to receive the full gratuity of 2/6 per day during the term of their service with ANGAU, bearing in mind the fact that they served at home in the same sense as men on the main land, who are only entitled to 6d. per day?