Image TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage TileImage Tile
Image size: 5120x7168 Scale: 35% - PanoJS3
Page overview thumbnail

Article text

ARMY DISCHARGES
SLOW PROGRESS MADE
Soldiers Discontented
BRISBANE, Sunday.— Only 612
Army personnel have been dis
charged from Redbank during the
first six davs of October.
Last month the Army estimated
that 300 men a day would he dis
charged, which would have meant
the return of 1800 to civilian life
already.
An officer on the discharge staff
at Redbank claimed yesterday that
the Army could put through 300
men a day, but that tho Civil Re
habilitation centra at Redbank
was too small to handle that :
number.
Ho added that the rehabilitation <
centre had intimated that it was I
capable of handling only 140 a ;
day, and that tho Army's dally ;
target had to coincide with the ,
centre's capacity.
A Civil Rehabilitation officer
declined last night to comment on
this statement.
A tour of Redbank on October
1, when, not one Serviceman was
discharged, showed that practically
oil the essential buildings were
still being built.
The reason for the buildings not
being completed was a matter for
the Department of the Interior, an
official Army spokesman said on
October 1.
On October 3 the Deputy Direc
tor of Works (Mr. T. R. Hender
son) said that tradesmen had been
diverted from lower and equal
priority Jobs to complete the Red-
bank buildings.
Soldiers waiting to be discharged
complained on October 5 that
their releases were being held up
apparently indefinitely because
records required for their de-
moDUisnuon were rius arriving us
Redbank.
One man said he had been more
than 20 days waiting for his papers
to be transferred from 128 A.CXH.,
also at Redbank, to the discharge
section.
Commanding officers have re
ceived an Army order that all
men serving under their command
who had accumulated 255 points
. Under the "points discharge
flfihomA11 ttrniiM Ha mnrchprf nufc
for discharge on October 6.
Men with 237 points and over
are to be moved from units for
discharge on October 13, those
With 217 by October 20, and those
With 203 by October 27.
. Details of the numbers dis
charged dally ore: October 1, nil;
October 2, 36; October 8, 144; Oc
tober 4, 149; October 0, SI; Oc
tober 6, 142.
No RAAF. figures are avail
able, but a spokesman sold last
, night that discharges would be
stepped up on last month's total,
when 1303 R.A.AF. and W.A.-
AjLF. were demobilised at Sand-
gate.
Plans for demobilisation at the
rate of 1000 a day at Sydney
showground had bogged under the
weight of red tape, insufficient
staff, and "passing the buck," it
was claimed in Sydney yesterday.
Not more than 900 Servicemen
Were discharged during the week
Instead of the exnected 4000 or
6000.
Servicemen .are seething with
discontent over the continued de
lays.
More than 2000 answered! te?
roll call by the afternoon, but not,
more than 800 received discharges,
the remainder being given week-
and lenvn I
The main problem, of Service
men, particularly those from the ;
country, Is to find cash for the
Incessant leave periods. City men
can go to their homes, but the
country men say they have to
wander around the city with little
or no money.
In statements during the week
an Army spokesman blamed the
uivn ttenaDmtation arancn ror
delay, alleging that it created a
bottleneck.
Civil Rehabilitation Branch men
said that they dealt with all cases
submitted by 3.30 p.m. each day.
They blamed the Records Office.
The Records Office replied that
It was the most efficient branch
of the Army.
$