More Info →Women's War Service Auxiliary Memorandum No. 42

WOMEN’S WAR SERVICE AUXILIARY

190 Lambton Quay,
WELLIGNTON
2nd March, 1942
CIRCULAR MEMORANDUM No. 42

ALL DISTRICT & SUB-CENTRE COMMITTEES.

I am directed by the Central Executive to advise Committees
of the arrangement which has been made with the Church of England
[Military] Affairs Committee in respect of the voluntary work performed
by women in the Church Army huts in the various military camps.

Since early in the war Church Army huts have been established
in various military camps throughout New Zealand and women have
rendered a most valuable service to the soldiers by serving in the
buffets attached to the camps.

Following on the circular memorandum issued by the Director
of National Service on the 22nd December, 1941, on the co-ordination
of women’s voluntary war work, steps have been taken to clarify the
position in respect of those voluntary workers working in the Church
Army huts and to place the position of these workers on a uniforms
basis throughout the Dominion, particularly as some of these voluntary
workers only undertake this work at rare intervals and others with
heavy family responsibilities do not wish to commit themselves to any
specified undertaking of service and therefore are not prepared to
unreservedly sign the W.W.S.A. registration form. In order to meet
the position and at the same time give these women the opportunity of
still performing this work it has been decided that:

(a) The Church Army and other similar organisations be permitted
to carry on as usual in arranging for women to voluntarily
staff their canteen huts in military camps.

(b) Those women desiring to join the Auxiliary be permitted to do so.

(c) Those women who join the Auxiliary be required to sign the
declaration of service but if they so desire their service as
a member of the Auxiliary be limited to voluntary war work
in Church Army hits, Y.M.C.A. huts, etc, and this limitation
of service be endorsed on their registration cards accordingly
and that they be under no further obligation for voluntary
service other than that specified on their enrolment form;

(d) In respect of those women who still wish to undertake this
work but do not wish to sign the Auxiliary card, they be per-
mitted to carry on as usual but be informed that they are not
covered for insurance purposes under the Emergency Reserve
Corps Regulations and that, therefore, they cannot claim
against the Government for damages or injuries sustained
while undertaking this work.

(e) Those organisations interested in this work be requested to
forward from time to time the names of any women who do not
register with the Auxiliary but continue to perform this
work to the respective local Committee of the W.W.S.A. so
that the register of woman-power may be maintained in each
district.

Steps are being taken to advise the Army Department, the Church
Army, the Y.M.C.A., the Salvation Army and the Roman Catholic Church
of the position so that the work carried on in the past may proceed in
the future on the basis outlined above.

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Where the Auxiliary Committees are co-operating with the
various organisations for the supply of personnel for canteen
work in Army huts, they should, of course, continue this work
in the same manner as they have done previously so that all the
assistance available for this work is utilised as required.

M. MALEMPRE

Dominion Secretary

WOMEN’S WAR SERVICE AUXILIARY

190 Lambton Quay,
WELLINGTON

2nd March, 1942.

CIRCULAR MEMORANDUM No. 43.
ALL DISTRICT COMMITTEES & SUB-CENTRE COMMITEES.

DECLARATION OF SERVICE.

As your Committee is aware, joining the Auxiliary is
purely a voluntary action by any woman interested. Once a woman
registers with the Auxiliary, however, she is required to enrol
and sign the Declaration of Service so that she is protected for
insurance purposes and at the same time given an undertaking to
obey orders from any authorised person.

There appears, however, to be a certain amount of perturb-
ation at the signing of the Declaration of Service which states
that the registrant, inter alia, agrees to place herself
“unreservedly at the disposal of the Corps”.

Many women joining the Auxiliary have considerable domestic
responsibilities and, while they are prepared to undertake certain
voluntary war or emergency work and desire to register with the
Auxiliary, they do not feel they can conscientiously sign a
declaration which appears to place them unreservedly in the hands
of authorised persons for any time of work in the even of an
emergency.

In order to overcome this difficulty the matter was sub-
mitted to the Minister of National Service and he has approved
the following:—

(1) That every woman joining the Auxiliary be required to
complete the Declaration of Service.

(2) Any woman who so desires may, however, endorse on her
registration card the fact that she is available for
certain types of service only.

(3) District and Sub-Centre Committee will not allocate
such women to any other work or require them to undertake
any other form of service (unless registrants so desire)
outside the work for which the women have been contracted to
perform.

M. Malemprè
Dominion Secretary