Civilians

Pensions For

Dependants of Men Lost in Aust. Territories

Canberra, Feb. 8.

IT was officially announced here to-day that the position of dependants of Australians who lost their lives as a direct result of the Japanese invasion of part of New Guinea and Papua, has been considered by the Government. The statement continues: — “As, in the opinion of the Government, the lives lost were given in the national service of Australia, it has been decided to grant pensions to their dependants under conditions of eligibility similar to those nrescribed in the Australian Sol diers’ Repatriation Act for a soldier with the rank of Private.

“It will be recalled that at the time of the Japanese invasion of Rabaul, and other parts of New Guinea and Papua, early in 1942, there were a considerable number of Administration officials, mis sionaries and other civilians in the area in addition to the Army Garrison. In formation received in October, 1945, shows that many of those persons lost their lives on the prisoner of war ship SS ‘Montevideo Maru’ which was torpedoed near Luzon on July 1, 1942.”

EDITORIAL NOTE; The widow of an Australian Private Soldier is entitled to £5 per fortnight, and the first child is entitled to 35/- per fortnight. Pensions are granted to other dependants accord ing to circumstances.

Procedure in relation to applications for the pension has not yet been worked out. It is presumed that the pension will

be payable from July, 1942; that any pay ments made by the Commonwealth to de pendants since 1942, will be set against the dependant’s claim for pension since 1942; and that applications will have to be made to the Department of External Territories. We hope to publish a state ment about procedure in the March

“Pim.”

It should be noted that the pension is not confined to the dependants of the men lost in Rabaul: it goes to the de pendants of all civilians lost in New Guinea and Papua as the result of the Jap invasion.