Military Forces (Women's Services) Regulations (Amendment)

STATUTORY RULES.

1944. No. 119.

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REGULATIONS UNDER THE DEFENCE ACT 1903-1941.*

I, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL in and over the Commonwealth of Australia, acting with the advice of the Federal Executive Council, hereby make the following Regulations under the Defence Act 1903-1941.

Dated this twenty-second day of August, 1944.

(SGD.) GOWRIE.

Governor-General.

By His Excellency’s Command,

(Sgd.) F. M. FORDE

Minister of State for the Army.

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Amendment of Military Forces (Women’s Services) Regulations.†

Eligibility for appointment, transfer, &c., to Australian Army Nursing Service.

1. The Military Forces (Women’s Services) Regulations are amended by inserting after regulation 4 the following regulation:—

“4a. A woman shall not be eligible for appointment, transfer or secondment to the Australian Army Nursing Service unless she—

(a) has attained the age of twenty-one years, but has not yet attained the age of forty years;

(b) is duly registered as a nurse in a State or Territory of the Commonwealth;

(c) is a spinster, widow or divorcee;

(d) has no dependent children under the age of sixteen years; and

(e) has passed such medical examination as is approved by the Military Board:

Provided that a woman who has attained the age of forty years, but has not attained the age of forty-five years, may be appointed, transferred or seconded to the Australian Army Nursing Service, if the Military Board certifies that she has special qualifications or that it considers that special circumstances warrant her appointment, transfer or secondment”.

* Notified in the Commonwealth Gazette on     , 1944.

† Statutory Rules 1943, No. 68 as amended by Statutory Rules 1943, No. 243; and 1944, No. 22.

4011.—Price 3d.         11/26.6.1944.

Eligibility for appointment to Australian Women’s Army Service and Australian Army Medical Women’s Service.

2. Regulation 5 of the Military Forces (Women’s Services) Regulations is amended by omitting the words “a Women’s Service” (wherever occurring) and inserting in their stead the words “the Australian Women’s Army Service or the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service”.

3. The Military Forces (Women’s Services) Regulations are amended by inserting after regulation 6 the following regulations:—

Age for retirement from Australian Army Nursing Service.

“6a. Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 124 of the Australian Military Regulations, members of the Australian Army Nursing Service shall be retired at the ages shown in the following table:—

Age for retirement of officers from Australian Women’s Army Service and Australian Army Medical Women’s Service.

“6b. Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 124 of the Australian Military Regulations, officers of the Australian Women’s Army Service and of the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service shall be retired at the ages shown in the following table:—

Age for discharge of soldiers from Australian Women’s Army Service and Australian Army Medical Women’s Service.

“6c. Notwithstanding the provisions of regulation 191 of the Australian Military Regulations, a soldier of the Australian Women’s Army Service or of the Australian Army Medical Women’s Service shall be discharged on reaching the age of forty-eight years”.

4. The Military Forces (Women’s Services) Regulations are amended by inserting after regulation 12 the following regulations:—

Complaints by members of Australian Army Nursing Service.

“12a. Before any officer to whom a complaint by a member of the Australian Army Nursing Service is made or referred pursuant to regulation 194 of the Australian Military Regulations deals with the complaint, he shall refer it for comment to the senior officer of the Australian Army Nursing Service at the head-quarters of the unit or formation, &c. concerned or, in the case of a complaint referred to the Military Board, to the Director-General of Medical Services and to the Matron-in-Chief.

Members of Australian Army Nursing Service to stand to attention on certain occasions.

“12b. The provisions of regulations 679, 681, 682, 687, 689, 692, 693, 705, 706 and 724 of the Australian Military Regulations shall not apply to or in respect of members of the Australian Army Nursing Service, but on all occasions when, in accordance with regulations 679, 681 and 682 of those Regulations, officers are required to salute, members of the Australian Army Nursing Service will stand to attention They will also stand to attention while troops or naval landing parties with uncased colours, or the cortege of a naval, military or air force funeral is passing them.

Head dress in civil courts.

“12c. The provisions of regulation 694 of the Australian Military Regulations shall not apply to members of any Women’s Service, who, while present in a civil court, will wear their head dress”.

Power of certain officers to dispose of charges summarily.

5. Regulation 27 of the Military Forces (Women’s Services) Regulations is amended by omitting sub-regulation (2) and inserting in its stead the following sub-regulation:—

“(2) Any charge against an officer of or below the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel of a Women’s Service may be disposed of summarily by any authority who has power to deal summarily with a charge against a male officer below the rank of field officer:

Provided that a charge against an officer of the rank of field officer shall not be disposed of otherwise than by a general officer:

Provided further that reduction in rank, extra duties or confinement to camp or barracks may not be awarded as punishment”.

By Authority: L.F. Johnston, Commonwealth Government Printer, Canberra.