CALL TO ARMS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXX, Issue 214, 11 September 1939, Page 9

CALL TO ARMS.

SPECIAL FORCE.

HOW TO REGISTER.

FIRST STEPS TO-MORROW.

MEDICAL TESTS LATER,

Preparations are well in hand for the commencement to-morrow of the enlistment of officers, non-commissioned officer* and men for the special voluntary military force for service within or beyond New Zealand.

The Auckland district quota for the tiret draft is 2200 of all rank*, and enlistments will he made in the following units Mounted rifles, field artillery, division of ammunition column, field engineers, signal company, infantry. Scottish machine gun company, Army Service Corps, field ambulance, and dental, hygiene and sanitation sections.

As announced on Saturday, preference will be given to single men not engaged in essential industries, in the following order:—Serving members of the Territorial Force; members of the infantry section of the --penal reserve; members of Class I. of the National Military Reserve; and other single men with or without training. The age limits for X.C.O.'s and men Jiro a minimum of 21 and a. maximum of 3.1 years, and these limits will be strictly observed. Recruiting Procedure. Opening at \) o clock to-morrow morning, the main recruiting office for Auckland city and suburbs will be the drill hall in Rutland Street. The procedure to be followed is for encli volunteer to enter the hull and receive at one of the * a kjes " legist la t ion number and a registration form. He will then be directed to another table, where an engaged writer will help hi in to fill in the form.

Jnext he will go to one of the unit booths to be interviewed by a representative of the unit which he desires " a<l before leaving the hall he will be gi\en a certificate showing that he lias registered. Then he must await notice to attend a medical examination, these notice*, naming the day and time next week when the examination will be made, are to be sent out towards the end of tiie present week to the number of men required to till the Auckland district quota.

A number of questions that have arisen in the minds of intending volunteers were answered by the Army Department to-day. One of these is the matter of the ineligibility of men who are employed in "essential industries." The position is that the Department will decide after a volunteer has registered whether he must be turned down on that account. If it is decided that lie cannot be spared from industry at the present time, lie will not be called up for medical examination. Some Already Registered. Another point is that all serving territorials and eligible reservists who wish to enlist must report and put their applications through the same channels as those who have had 110 training. The fact that a man is a territorial or a reservist does not mean that his application for enlistment is made automatically. He must register in the same way as the other volunteers.

At the same time, however, it is pointed out that those who have already filled in registration forms during the past week for service overseas need not re-register for service in thU special force.

Volunteers will be given the right to choose the section to which they wish to belong. Where a Territorial so desires, it is intended to allow him to serve, if he is selected, in the same branch of service to which he already belongs.

To save volunteers in outlying country districts from making I !,e trip to town, registration forms will be on hand from tomorrow at the following post offices In the district! Pupakura, Howick, Mamirewii, Clevcdon. I'okeuo, Tuakau, Waluktt and Ptikekolie. Each form filled iti at these places must be handed to the postmaster, who will forward it to recruiting headquarters. Minister'* Appeal. Within a few days the country volunteer who registers in this way will receive notice to go to the drill hall for an interview and medical examination. It is. of course, preferable that he should come to town if possible in the first place and register with the city volunteers.

An appeal has been made by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, that volunteers should not throw up their employment until they actually receive notice to enter camp. He has also asked that employers should do their Utmost to keep jol>s open for employee* called up or enlisting for military service.

Hours for enlisting at the Drill Hnll, Rutland Street, will bo from 9 a.m. to 0 p.m. from Tuesday to Friday and from 9 a.m. until noon y n Saturday.