THE ENGINEERS.

Press, Volume LXVII, Issue 20314, 13 August 1931, Page 6

THE ENGINEERS.

LEAST POPULAR UNIT OF SERVICE. LATEST RECRUITING FIGURES. According to the latest recruiting '.inures for tho Territorial Forces iu the Southern Command, the infantry is ao longer the most unpopular branch "of the service. Indeed, almost twice as many men have volunteered for service with the four infantry regiments as have volunteered for the Third Field' Company of New Zealand Engineers, which has replaced the infantry as the least popular unit. Forty-two per' cent, of the required number of infantrymen has been recruited the percentage in the engineers is only u:!. On the other hand, the Army Service Corps (73 per cent, recruited) has maintained its leading place, closely followed by the Mounted Rifles (64 per cent, recruited in three regiments). Forty-six per cent, of the five batteries ot: artillerymen lifts been recruited. Recruiting Figures. The following list, which 'has been compiled during the last few days by the Defence Department, Christchurch, shows that about 46 per cent, of the total number of volunteers required in the Southern Command in all branches have now been recruited (when the July totals were made up this percentage was only 30): — I Recruited (officers Required and men), strength. Canterbury YeomanryJCavalry . . . ■ 13") ■ 1 9S Otago Mounted Rifles i:jt jys STelson-Marlborougli-Mount-ed Rifles . • 3 11 IOS Ninth Field Battery, N.Z Artillery . ■ "n Tenth Field Battery .. -I.'i 128 Twelfth Field Battery .. 7(1 128 Fourteenth (Medium) Field Battery . . 0:J ill Sixteenth (Pack) Field Battery .. <U; lug Third Field Company. N.Z. Engineers . . s;> 232 Southern Depot, N.Z. Corps of Signals .. 08 lu3 First Battalion. Canterbury Regiment .. -14 j-i'J First Battalion, NelsouMarlborough and West Coast Regiment J'Jii '_'2 ( J First Battalion, Otago Regiment loti 2-43 First Battalion. Southland Regiment . . 133 2'j'j Third Composite Company, N.Z. Army Service Corps .. hi. ill Third Field Ambulance . . 40 104 Otago University Company, N.Z. Medical Corps . . . 292 Totals • IGI4 3GOG The following regiments and corps are recruited in Canterbury:—Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry; Ninth, Tenth and Sixteenth Batteriee; Third Field Company, New Zealand Engineers; Southern Depot, Corps cf Signals; First Battalion, Canterbury Regiment; Army Servfce Corps; Third Field Ambulance. In the meantime, while the King Edward Barracks arc occupied by the Winter Show, tho Department's active work is almost at a standstill.