NEW ZEALAND UNIT

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 109, 4 November 1939, Page 15

NEW ZEALAND UNIT

ANTI-TANK TRAINING

COMMANDING OFFICERS

LONDON, October 13,

For three days this week New Zealanders desiring to join up with a Dominion unit in England were medically examined in the dressing rooms of the Adelphi Theatre, in the Strand, next to New Zealand House. Of a total of 160 men who reported, 116 were passed "fit and accepted"

Only three were turned down as "medically unfit," and four were not passed on account of being partially or temporarily unfit, A total of 23 were not. eligible, being either over age or with insufficient New Zealand bona fides. A further 40 men are to be examined in centres outside London.

The unit will be commanded by Colonel R. S. Park (Wellington), R.N.Z.A.,, Colonel D.-H. W. Donaldson (Wellington), N.Z.S.C., arid Major C. S. J. Duff (Auckland), R.N.Z.A. It will be trained "somewhere in England," to use anti-tank guns. All men enlisting will serve as privates, but it is expected that opportunities for promotion will be good. They will not be attested, or sworn in, until they are called up to begin training. This will be in a few days' time. The volunteers are regarded as being an exceptionally "fine lot." The majority of them are all men who have left New Zealand either with a sense of adventure, or from a desire to make their way professionally in other countries. About 70 per cent, are professional men, and a surprisingly large j number can speak one or two lan-j guages. < j Three or four have a thorough knowledge of Swedish, and one, a hydroelectrical engineer, learned while hej was living in Sweden. Another man, who was a planter in Malaya, speaks Malay, Tamil, and Javanese. The majority of those who have an extra language at their command include French, and some have a good knowledge of German. Previous occupations range from an ex-M.P to ship's cooks, and from students of philosophy to a newspaper correspondent who has been living in Switzerland. When the unit has been trained it will lbe transferred to the New Zealand Division, wherever that may be at the time.

The distinction of being the first New Zealander to pass the medical test belongs tp Mr. K. Kinniburgh, an old boy of Wellington College. He came to England five -years ago on a six months' trip. Then he decided to see the United States where he remained for a year. He returned to England because he "had not seen enough of it," and he joined the sales staff of Messrs. Trengrouse and Nathan, importers of New Zealand butter and cheese.

As their agent he travelled extensively throughout the country for 12 months. Then he joined the Standard Oil Company and worked for them in Norfolk, Suffolk, and Cambridge. Mr. Kinniburgh is a typical example of the New Zealander who has left the Dominion to roam abroad. with the intention of "seeing life.", ' .