NEW AUXILIARY RESERVE

Press, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23085, 30 July 1940, Page 8

NEW AUXILIARY RESERVE

DEFENCE OF HOME LOCALITIES PHYSICAL TRAINING AS FIRST STEP The formation of an auxiliary reserve has been decided on by the National Service Department, according to information given to the New * Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association. This reserve is to comprise men f who are not members of the existing forces —the Army, Navy. Air Force, . Territorials, or National Military Reserve, Class 11. "The function of this organisation is to defend localities in which the members live and areas contiguous thereto,” states a circular received by the executive of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association from Us Dominion headquarters last evening. Arms and equipment will be issued later, but to begin with members will parade and drill (physical exercises, etc.) under the guidance of the Army. In the event of trouble in New Zealand the Army will take control. “So that this auxiliary reserve may be established without delay, the New Zealand Returned Soldiers’ Association has been requested to submit nominations for district leaders and area leaders. Working upon the military districts (Northern, Central, and Southern) three district leaders are to be appointed. These men will be required to act in the closest concert with the officers commanding the military districts and should be persons of wide military experience and organising ability. Naturally, the persons nominated should have an undoubted standing in the community and ample time to give to the work involved. They will be located at Auckland, Wellington, and Christchurch. “Sixteen area leaders will be required. These will be located at Auckland. Paeroa. Whangarei. Hamilton. Wellington. Wanganui. Gisborne, Napier. Masterton, New Plymouth, Nelson, Greymouth. Christchurch, Timaru, Dunedin, and Invercargill. Those selected should have some military experience and considerable organising ability. "The positions of .district and area leaders will be purely honorary, but the Government will reimburse travelling expenses.” CLASS II RESERVE MEN REJECTED ON MEDICAL EXAMINATION The position of men who after serving many months in the Class II Military Reserve were now being rejected on, medical, examination was discussed by the executive of the Christchurch Returned Soldiers’ Association last evening. Mr C. Miln said there were a number of keen men in the Class II Reserve who were now being rejected from the reorganised reserve because they could not pass the medical examination. Some of these men had been drilling for 10 months, and they did not like getting out now after being accepted in the first place. He suggested that the standard of fitness required should be less, than for service overseas. It was mentioned that ? large number of the men rejected were over the age of 55 stipulated as the limit for Class II Reserve. The executive continued to discuss the question In committee, and a resolution was passed that the attention of the Dominion executive of the association be drawn to the dissatisfaction existing through the rejection for Class II Military Reserve by the medical boards of men who had now been training for 10 months. 75 MEN PASSED FIT EXAMINATION BY MEDICAL BOARD A medical board sat yesterday to deal with recruits who volunteered with the New Zealand" Expeditionary Force. Seventy-five men were passed fit, and of- the 36 classed as unfit four were temporarily unfit, 17 permanently unfit, and 15 were not graded. Those who presented themselves for examination were:— Allington, N.' G.; Allcock, H. G.; Archer. N. F-I Barbarel, E. A.; Barnes, A. H.; Blackburn. F. D.; Blair, R. McIC; Brims. R.; Brooks, M.; Bullock, R. G. H.: Burgess, E. C.; Butterfield, C. Q. E. Barkle, E. J.; Brian, W. C.; Blackmore, B. C.; Bunker, U T.; Crawford, J. B.; Currie, E. J.; Cheel, P. A.; Clarke C. L.; Cooke. W. A.; Coutts, F. R.;'Cornish, T. H.; Coade, R. J.; Cottier. J. W. D’Anvers, E. R.; Donnelly. M. P.; Dumpleton. W. A.; Dunne. L. W.; Dynes. A. C.; Dawson, N. C. W.; Ekensteen. A. B.; Evans, J. E.; Easton, R. W.; Eden, J. G.; Fail, L. H.; Foubister, A. R. N.;. Foskett, F. M.; Freitas, M. D.: Gasson, E. A.; Gill, E.'G.; Glendinning, A. A.; Green, ‘G. W. A.; Goodfellow, R. H. _ ; ■ Hadfield. F. A.; Harper, V. J.; Hill, F. W.; Hobbs, F. J.; Hoddlnott, L. R.; Hopping, C. W. G.; Humm, M. L.; Huband, H. G.; , Hickman, H. W.; Huline, J. W.; Harris, E. N.; Jesson, F. A,; Johnston, C. E.; Joseph, T. L.; Johns, J. C.; Kearns. F.; Keefley. R. IB.; Keats. M, A.; Keir, R. A.; Kinley, A.; Knipe, P. S.; Learmouth, A.; Louisson, G. ,L; Lee, H. A. - M Mac Donald, R. G.; Macready, R. N.; Martin, K. C.; McGahey, J. J.; McWhinnie, G. B.; Millar, G. J.; Mobbs, L; S.; Millar, A.; Millard, W.; Murphy. W. L.; McLoughlin, E. J. Nicholson,- J. R. M.; Nolan, M. A., O’Loughlin, J. H.; Owen, E. V.; Packer, F. G.; Penny. J. MacG.; Paton, J.; Pullan, J. H.; Read, W. A.; Roberts, K. C.; Round, E.; Ryan. M!. P. J.; Robertson H. E. W.; Scobie, W. R.; Smith, R. .’e.; Smythe, N. C.; Stewart. S.; Sutherland, I. R.; Stigley, W, E.; Stammers, R. B.; Stewart. D. McK.; Smith. L E. Thompson, S. B.; Tant, R. D.; Vivian, J. C.; Wards, I. McL.; Warman, J. A. L.; Welsh, A. C.; Williams, C. W.; Williams. N. K.; Woodward, R. A.; Widdowson, A, J.; Yates, R. W. HELP IN RECRUITING TRIBUTE TO RETURNED SOLDIERS Appreciation of the assistance given by the Christchurch Returned Soldiers! 1 Association in recruiting under - the voluntary system was expressed by Colonel R. B. Smythe, area staff officer, in a letter received by the executive i of the association last evening. “The bureau in the Square was taken I over, .by your association from my staff : at very short notice, and has been I maintained in all weathers for some ) months,” wrote ‘ Colonel Smythe- “It ! has proved a great success, as most of. ; the recruits have registered there, and II am very grateful.” I Members "of-the executive considered that the association’s’gratitude should be expressed to tfaq men concerned. , * ... .

ROYAL AIR FORCE CASUALTIES NEW ZEALANDERS MISSING IPRBSB ASSOCIATION TELEGHAiI.) . WELLINGTON. July 29.’ ' The following Air Force casualties are officially announced;— Sergeant Harry Chanman DOwns, R.N.Z.A.F., seriously injured in a flying accident. His mother is Mrs A. E. Downs, 14 Calcutta street, Khandallah, Wellington. Wing Commander Leslie Clive Bennett, mlgsing after air operations. His wife is Mrs J. Bennett, Chichester, England, and his lather, Mr F. H. Bennett, Harrow. England. Wing Commander Bennett was born at Ngaroto, New Zealand. Pilot Officer David Baynton btarky, missing as a result of an aircraft accident. His father is Mr F. B. Starky, Toa Toa, Bay of Plenty, New Zealand. Sergeant W. D. F. Annan, reported missing, believed killed. His L.ther is Mr F. J. A. Annan, K 8 Dickens street, Napier. Sergeant Annan, who was 21, was one of the first airmen to leave New Zealand after the outbreak of war. He was educated at the Hastings Street Schoc’, Napier, and the Napier Boys’ High School, He studied at Victoria University College, Wellington, and joined the staff ofthe Commissioner of Taxes. He was trained at Levin and the Ohakea Air Station. Pilot Officer Frank Twain Poole, missing, believed killed. His father is Mr C. H. Poole, 373 Herbert street, Invercargill. Pilot Officer Rupert Edward Short, missing on air -operations. His father is Mr T. E. Short. 143 Campbell road. Grecnlane, Auckland. CHRISTCHURCH PILOT’S CAREER (PkESS ASSOCIATION TELEGRAM.) AUCKLAND, July 29. Flying Officer William Harcourt Coleman, aged 23, is reported missing, and is believed to have lost his life as a result of air operations. He was born in Christchurch, and is a son of the late Mr V. H. Coleman. His mother, Mrs Arthur Walton, now resides at Derby street, Devonport. He was educated at St. Mary’s Convent School, Christchurch, and the Christchurch Technical College. At the age of 15 he was the youngest active member of the Christchurch Gliding Club. He later trained with the Auckland Aero Club, and went to England in 1937 before the Government training scheme was in operation, and joined the Royal Air Force. He was to have come to New Zealand last year with the flight of the Wellington bombers. Since the outbreak of war he had commanded a Wellington bomber, and had made many flights over Germany and Norway. ACTIVITIES IN EGYPT WORK OF NEW ZEALAND TROOPS (From the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z. Forces.) WELLINGTON, July 29. Although the only contact New Zealand troops in Egypt .have had with the enemy has been through aerial bombing raids in which they have generally been merely eye-witnesses, various sections of New Zealand forces have played important roles behind the scenes in British land operations in the Western Desert, states a dispatch from Egypt, dated July 28. Details of these activities may not be revealed, but hundreds of members of the Ist Echelon can now proudly claim experience in the field. Some have actually been engaged on special assignments since the critical days before Italy entered the war. Admiration for the keenness and efficiency of New Zealanders in all activities in the Western Desert has been expressed by English officers. New Zealanders themselves have enjoyed this new phase of their military career. They have be.come versed in the varying degrees of hardships of desert life, but they have been living under the best possible conditions, often within easy reach of- the -sea. Man£ speak of air. raids as commonplace, though usually distant, spectacles. Memorable scenes of activity marked the exodus of sections from the Cairo training camp The departure of long columns of lorries, cars and motor-cycles, often in the first light of day. has become a common sight, as parties begin motorised treks covering hundreds of miles. Appointments in THE ARMY NEW POSITION FOR CAPTAIN E. E. LLOYD Army staff promotions and appointments announced in the latest Gazette include the following:— Lieutenant and Quartermaster W. L. Glanville, New Zealand Permanent Staff, is appointed Quartermaster, No. 1 Training Battalion, Mobilisation Camp, Burnham. J TT _ Lieutenant and Quartermaster H. D. Hunt, New Zealand Permanent Staff, is appointed Quartermaster, No. 2 Training Battalion, Mobilisation Camp, Burnham. Lieutenant A. J. D. Morten, New Zealand Temporary Staff,, is appointed Assistant Area Officer (temporary), No. 10 Area, Christchurch, in addition to his appointment of Adjutant, the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry. Lieutenant F. N. Armstrong, New Zealand Staff Corps, relinquishes the appointments of Adjutant, Ist Battalion, the Otago Regiment and Dunedin Company, the New Zealand Scottish Regiment, Dunedin, and is appointed Assistant Instructor, Southern Military Cistrict School of Instruction, Burnham. . „ „ , Captain R. H. Cleland, New Zealand Temporary Staff, relinquishes the appointment of Assistant Area Officer, No. 11 Area, and is appointed Adjutant, Ist Battalion, the Otago Regiment and Dunedin Company, the New Zealand Scottish Regiment. Dunedin. Captain E. E. Lloyd, New Zealand Staff Corps, relinquishes the appointment of Adjutant. Mobilisation Camp, Burnham, and is appointed General Staff Officer, second grade. Southern Military District. Christchurch. Lieutenant and Quartermaster J. J. Fitzgerald, New Zealand Permanent Staff, is appointed Weapon Training Instructor, Training Cadre, Mobilisation Camp. Burnham.