NG war widows

Rise in pensions for NG war widows

THE widows of New Guinea civilians who were lost during the war—mostly victims of the Montevideo Maru sinking—have had their pensions increased by 15 - ner fortnight.

The New Guinea Civilian War Pension Scheme was established by the Commonwealth Government in 1946 to provide pensions for de pendants of Australian civilians who lost their lives as a result of the Japanese invasion of the Territory of New Guinea. The pensions are paid at the same rates and on the same conditions as are provided in the Australian Soldiers’ Repatriation Act for a soldier with the rank of private.

There would have been few, if any, of these NG widows if the Government of the day had evacu

ated the men, as they were urged to do, instead of abandoning them to their fate.