OTTAWA, Canada, November 13, 1945

Dear Sir:

In view of articles which have appeared in the Press from time to time, you are no doubt aware that the payment of a War Service Gratuity has been authorized in respect of all deceased members of the Armed Forces on active service. This gratuity is payable to a person who was dependent upon the member of the Force at the time of his death, but if it is found that there were no dependents, then the gratuity will form a part of the Service estate.

To be entitled to the gratuity as dependents, applicants must either have been eligible for dependents' allowance at the time of the member's death or in receipt of an assignment of pay, part of which at least must have been used for the support of the recipient. Where one or more persons were in receipt of dependents' allowance, they alone are entitled to the gratuity, although another person may have been receiving an assignment of pay and may have been partly dependent upon the deceased member.

The authorities responsible for the payment of the gratuity are anxious to settle all claims from dependents of deceased personnel, or if there were no dependents, to include the gratuity in the Service estate. This letter is, therefore, addressed to you as recorded next of kin, with a view to inviting an application from a dependent or one who is authorized to act on behalf of the service estate of the marginally noted.

It will be appreciated that the question of dependency must be settled before payment of the gratuity can be made. Therefore, in order to deal with each case as expeditiously as possible, an early reply to this letter would be greatly appreciated. All communications should be addressed to The Secretary, Department of National Defence for Air, Ottawa, Attention: R.C.A.F. Records Officer.

Yours very truly,

(T.K. McDougall),
Group Captain,
for Chief of the Air Staff.

R215210 Fitzgerald, J.E. D.F.M.