ARMY REFORMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 80, 5 April 1939, Page 11

ARMY REFORMS.

Royal Armoured Corps To

Be Formed.

MR. HORE-BELISHA'S PLANS.

British Official Wireless.

(Received 1 p.m.)

RUGBY, April 4. Mr. Leslie Hore-Belisha, Secretary for War, informed the House of Commons that about 16,000 Army reservists would be called up for training in the course of the present year.

The Minister also announced further major reforms in Army organisation, namely, the formation of a new corps to be designated the Royal Armoured Corps, with precedence in the Army immediately before the Royal Regiment of Artillery.

Describing the considerations leading to this decision Mr. Hore-Belisha explained that *Jiey involved rather association betweOn, than amalgamation of mechanised regiments of cavalry of the line with the Royal Tank Corps.

The designation of the Royal Tank Corps would be changed to the Royal Tank Regiment and the King would become its Colonel-in-Chief. He also explained that to the Royal Armoured Corps will belong 18 regiments of cavalry of the line which already or are about to be mechanised, as well as all units of the Royal Tank Corps, both regular and Territorial Army.

In view of the decision to mechanise further, regiments of cavalry units, except the Ist Royal Dragoons and the Royal Scots Greys will be equipped with armoured vehicles analogous to those of the units of the Royal Tank Corps.