THE NEW ARMY

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 43, 20 February 1942, Page 5

THE NEW ARMY

AVENUES FOR SKILL

British Technicians In Libya And Russia British Onicial Wireless. Rec. 11 a.m. RUGBY, Feb. 19. While Germany is experiencing her first war winter in which skilled technicians in the army are tied up fighting and not available for industry. Britain, according to informed circles here, is showing usefulness of free criticism and her capacity to learn by experience by taking active steps to ensure the full use of the skilled men within her armed forces. An example of criticism is seen in the report issued by the Committee on Skilled Men in the Services, under the chairmanship of Sir William Beveridge. According to its findings the army, owing partly to its rapid rate of expansion, had not made as effective use of its I skilled workers as either the navy or air force. The army, says the report, cannot afford to be less machine-minded than the navy. The committee proposes the establishment of a new group of mechanical engineers to take over responsibility for the maintenance of all mechanised forces. The Army Council is understood to be considering this proposal in consultation with the commanders in the Middle East and India. Training of Recruits The committee also recommends that enlisted recruits Instead of going direct to a group or regiment should in future simply join the army and after basic training be drafted into the branch in which they show special aptitude. Thus any skill possessed by them will be turned fully to account. The committee's functions will not cease with publication of the report. It has been invited by the Army Council to co-operate with the employers and the trade unions to bring about the best use of men of rare skill through the provision of lists of skilled men now serving. What the improvements likely to be brought about by these frank and constructive criticisms may mean is illustrated by some of the comments which have been recently made by a senior officer, lately returned from the Middle East, who has described the lessons which the British Army is learning from the Germans. The officer said: "Before the war the Germans trained large numbers of fitters for service with them and they had three times as many fitters in Libya as we had. They also had unlimited numbers of spare parts which enabled them to make repairs in the quickest possible time." Ordnance Corps in Russia The War Office announces, in accordance with its policy of training technicians to fight as infantry in an emergency, that the Royal Army Ordnance Corps has been turned into a combatant arm. Men are now undergoing training in all forms of arms used by infantry members. Probably the first British troops in this war to see active service in Russia are in one detachment that has been handling British supplies unloaded at Soviet ports and servicing tanks and other vehicles before they are sent to the front. Another detachment, working in close . co-operation with Russian technicians, has been giving advice on details of maintenance of British equipment Recently men of the Ordnance Recovery Section have been doing great work in Cyrenaica, repairing damaged tanks and other vehicles during fighting.