DEFENCE UNITS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 156, 5 July 1939, Page 4

DEFENCE UNITS.

j RETURNED SOLDIERS. APPEAL BY DEPARTMENT. (By Teleprapli.—Own Correspondent.) WHANGAREI, this day. For the defence of the Whangarei district, a local company of ex-service-men is to be formed. When an urgent appeal for its cooperation in this direction was received yesterday from the Defence Department. the Empire Ex-Servicemen's Association lost 71 o time in taking action. A special meeting of the executive was called to receive Captain H. <1. Wooller, X.X.S.C.. who said that he had been requested to make immediate representations to the association for the formation of a company of returned men for the defence of the Whangarei (list rict. Captain Wooller asked that at least three platoons he formed at Whangarei. The fourth platoon to complete the company, he said, could probably be. drawn from the Kaikohe district. Steps were also beiii"* taken at once to form another Northland company of exservicemen with two platoons cac-h at Kaitaia and Dargaville. i The executive of the association I received the request with a full realisation of its urgency. an<l decided to co-operate to the fullest possible extent. A meeting of all ex-servicemen is to be held next Saturday to form a company. The secretary had already received many inquiries in regard- to the proposal. Captain Wooller announced that full equipment, including rifles, light machine guns and ammunition, would l>e available to the units formed. Formation of the ex-servicemen's unit is a new departure in that the whole organisation will be staffed and conducted by the returned soldiers themselves. with the assistance of tho perTiianent staff. Appointment of officers and N.C.O.'s will be made by the unit.