More Info →Women's War Service Auxiliary Memorandum No. 47

WOMEN’S WAR SERVICE AUXILLARY,
Dominion Headquarters,
190 Lambton Quay,
WELLINGTON.

16th March, 1942.

URGENT.

Confidential – Not For
Publication.

Circular Memorandum No. 47.

ALL DISTRICT COMMITTEES AND SUB-CENTRE COMMITTEES.

REGISTRATION OF WOMEN FOR DIRECTION INTO
ESSENTIAL WORK.

1. I am directed by the Central Executive to notify you of
   a request that has been received from the Director of National
   Service for the co-operation of the W.W.S.A. for the purpose of
   interviewing women who are required to register for work of
   National importance under Regulation 90 of the National Service
   Emergency Regulations 1940, which states inter alia that “the
   Minister (of National Service) may direct any persons of any
   specified class or specified classes whether normally engaged in
   any occupation or not to register with the nearest Man-power
   Officer or any other specified Officer.

2. The registration of women of ages 20 or 21 will be pro-
   ceeded with in the near future. At the same time voluntary
   registrations from women outside these ages will be acceptable.

3. A registration form ([K?].S. 141) has been prepared and will
   be available at all Post Offices throughout the Dominion. The
   forms will be posted by registrants to the District Man-power
   Officer nearest to their place of residence.

4. The Women’s War Service Auxiliary is undertaking the inter-
   viewing of women in the various centres for the District Man-power
   Officers.

5. District Committees and District Sub-centre Committees are
   therefore requested to appoint a suitable woman in each Centre to
   act as an Interviewing Officer. This woman should be selected
   for her tact, personality and general ability for this work and
   need not necessarily be a member of the Committee or Auxiliary,
   but may be any person resident in the district who has the par-
   ticular qualifications for this position.

6. The work will be honorary and any reasonable out-of-pocket
   expenses will be met in connection with this work.

7. Committees should call meetings together urgently to con-
   sider the appointment of those officers and the name and address
   of each officer appointed should be forwarded to this office
   immediately.

8. At an early date a Conference of Interviewing Officers
   of the W.W.S.A. District Committee only will be convened at
   the Centre in which the District Man-power Officer is located.
   This will enable a uniform policy to be followed and will
   facilitate future action.

9. When this Conference has taken place each District Committee
   Interviewing Officer should arrange in her own Centre for a
   Conference of Sub-centre Interviewing Officers so that the policy
   decided upon will be uniform, not only in respect of District
   Committee Interviewing Officers by also of Sub-centre Interview-
   ing Officers.

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10. District Man-power Officers will contact Secretaries of
    District Committees only in respect of any interview required.

It will be the duty of District Committees Secretaries to
arrange, where desired, interviews through the appropriate Sub-
centre Interviewing Officers.

11. Interviews should take place as far as possible in the
    premises of the local District Committees. Where no separate
    premises are available steps should be taken to obtain, for the
    purpose of this work, the use of some separate accommodation
    such as a room in a local hall, public library etc. It is
    definitely undesirable that any interviewing should be done in
    the private residence of the Secretary or other member of the
    Auxiliary.

12. Registration forms will be forwarded to the local Secret-
    aries by District Man-power Officers in respect of each interview
    required. The information contained in these forms is strictly
    confidential and any work associated with interviewing does not
    concern District Committees or Sub-centre District Committees.
    The Committees are concerned only in the appointment of suitable
    Interviewing Officers; other work in connection with interviewing
    will be arranged by the Man-power Officers through the Secretaries
    and will be passed on to Interviewing Officers for necessary
    action. The results of any interviews will be obtained through
    the Interviewing Officers and will be passed on by the Secretaries
    direct to the District Man-power Officers without reference to
    Committees.

13. If Interviewing Officers are found to be unsatisfactory,
    the Man-power Officers will communicate with the Director of
    National Service. Steps will be taken through this office to
    obtain the appointment of suitable replacements by District
    Committees.

14. In the initial stages it is proposed that, as far as practic-
    able, interviews will take place in conjunction with a represent-
    ative of the National Service Department or other authorised officer.

15. There will, no doubt, be a considerable amount of postage
    concerned in this work. Cost of any such postage should be charged
    against the Committee’s Imprest Account. Any out-of-pocket ex-
    pense may also be paid through this Account.

16. For the guidance of District Committee Secretaries and
    Interviewing Officers extracts from a circular forwarded to the
    District Man-power Officers by the Director of National Service
    are attached and should be fully studied. In this circular the
    detailed machinery in connection with the interviewing of women is
    set out and should be strictly adhered to.

17. A list of District Man-power Officers with their respective
    addresses is attached for the information of Committees.

18. When women are being interviewed it will be in order for
    Interviewing Officers to ask women if they are undertaking any
    voluntary war or emergency work. If they are not doing so
    reference may be made to the activities of the Auxiliary and if
    they desire to join the Auxiliary or other branch of the Emergency
    Reserve Corps they should be signed up at the first opportunity.
    At the same time they may be informed that applications are being
    received from women for Home Service in the Armed Forces and if
    they desire to submit applications for service these should be
    accepted. It is to be clearly understood, however, that
    registration under the Regulations does make it compulsory
    for any woman to join the Auxiliary or enlist for service in the
    Armed Forces.

M. Malempre,
Dominion Secretary.