MILITARY CAREERS

Auckland Star, Volume LXXVI, Issue 95, 23 April 1945, Page 6

MILITARY CAREERS

IN THE INDIAN FORCES NEW ZEALANDERS WELCOME Unlimited opportunities exist in India for young New Zealanders who wish to embark on a military career, according to Lieut.-Colonel L. T. Wilcock, formerly officer commanding 18th King Edward's Own Cavalry, an Indian Regiment with a background of lengthy active service, and now assistant-commandant of an officers' training school in India. Colonel Wilcock, who is visiting his brother, Mr. E. L. Wilcock, Glendowie, said to-day that the military authorities in India would welcome as many New Zealanders as possible, and he was confident, from experience, that they would do extremely well. Colonel Wilcock was educated at the Auckland Grammar School and he served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in World War I. At the conclusion of hostilities he continued his military career at the Royal Military College, Sandhurst, and later at the Wellington Cadet College, India. In the early days of this war he went to the Middle East as officer commanding the King Edward's Own Cavalry, one of the old Bengal Lancers Regiments. In the desert warfare his regiment was attached to the Third Indian Motor Brigade, which bore the full brunt of Rommel's attack near Bir Hakem in the dark days of May, 1942, when the N%w Zealand Division made its record-breaking trip from Syria to Mersa Matruh to help to stem the sweeping German advance following the fall of Tobruk. The brigade was badly mauled but, after refitting at a Middle East base depot, it transported its tanks a distance of about 2000 miles across the Sinai desert, through Palestine, Transjordania and Irak, to Persia, where it became attached to the 10th Army. From Persia the brigade was shipped back to India and, after intensive training in jungle warfare, it joined the 14th Army in Burma, where it is still fighting. Contrary to general belief, observed Colonel Wilcock, Indians were given every opportunity to gain commissions in the Army. Several regiments were commanded by Indians, while there was at least one Indian brigadier. The Indian soldier was particularly ameniablo to discipline. The Indians loved army life, and the majority finished their career without a single black mark against them.