In addition, membership of one of the special groups defined below may provide a person with qualifying service.
3.2.2.1Mercantile Marine. A person employed in certain sea-going service during the Second World War and who was domiciled (see Eligibility GO 14.2) in Australia during that employment. For example:
employed under agreement as a master, officer or seaman, or under indenture as an apprentice between 3 September 1939 and 18 April 1946 on a ship trading between an Australian port and any other; or on a troop transport or hospital ship.
3.2.2.2Welfare Organisations. A person who served in an operational area outside Australia on or after 3 September 1939 with a unit of the Defence Forces as a representative of one of the following approved welfare organisations :
- Australian Red Cross;
- Salvation Army;
- Young Men's Christian Association;
- Young Women's Christian Association; or
- Australian Comforts Fund.
(See Ministerial determination at Eligibility GO 3.2.3)
3.2.2.3Commonwealth Employees. Persons employed by the Commonwealth of Australia who were attached to the Defence Force, being —
- persons who were so attached for continuous service, and who provided services as personnel belonging to field broadcasting units, as telegraphists, as camoufleurs, as war correspondents, as photographers or as cinematographers; or
- any other persons during any period when they provided service and assistance to the Defence Force.
(See Ministerial determination at Eligibility GO 3.2.3)
3.2.2.4Other Commonwealth Forces. A person who served in the Naval, Military or Air Forces or associated nursing services of any part of the King's Dominions other than Australia during the Second World War provided that the person previously resided (see Eligibility GO 14.3) in Australia or an Australian Territory and served in an operational area outside the country of enlistment or appointment or as a combatant in an active combat unit. These Forces include:
- Federation of Malaya Police Volunteer Reserve (Auxiliary Police);
- Naval Police Force, Singapore;
- British Solomon Islands Labour Corps;
- Federated Malay States Volunteer Force; or
- New Hebrides Defence Force.
3.2.2.5New Guinea Volunteer Rifles. A person who enlisted for active service in this Force and who served on or after 22 February 1942 (the date on which Rabaul was attacked) may be accepted as an eligible person.
3.2.2.6Torres Strait Light Infantry. Members of this Force were not accepted for overseas service and eligibility cannot be established unless the person served outside the territorial boundaries of Australia.
NOTE - The Torres Strait Islands are within Australia.
3.2.2.7Permanent Military Forces. Members of the Permanent Military Forces (PMF) prior to 1 July 1951 are not “Australian Soldiers” under the legislation unless they enlisted for or were appointed or employed on active service outside the territorial boundaries of Australia.
NOTE - The Torres Strait Islands are within Australia. Members of the PMF seconded or transferred to the AIF are eligible on the basis of their service as an “Australian Soldier”.
3.2.2.8Interim Army/BCOF. Those members of the PMF who enlisted after 1 October 1945 into that part of the PMF known as the Interim Army, formed to participate in the occupation of Japan, are eligible because by the terms of their enlistment they were liable for overseas service. Members of the Interim Army have service numbers in the 500,000 series. Any member of the Permanent Forces who served with the British Commonwealth Occupation Forces (BCOF) in Japan from 3 January 1949 to 30 June 1951 is eligible in respect of that service.
3.2.2.9Royal Navy. A member of the Royal Navy (RN) while on loan to the Royal Australian Navy (RAN) is not a member of the Naval Forces of Australia. For this reason, the service of that person while on loan to the RAN is not of itself sufficient to establish eligibility under the legislation. However, a member of the RN who served on loan to the RAN may be eligible if he resided (see Eligibility GO 14.3) in Australia before his enlistment or appointment in the RN and his service meets the requirements of the legislation.