MARRIED MEN IN TERRITORIALS

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23494, 24 November 1941, Page 6

MARRIED MEN IN TERRITORIALS

NO DISCHARGE FROM TRAINING ■*»— MINISTER’S STATEMENT (P.A.) WELLINGTON, November 22. “To deplete the Territorial Force at this stage by withdrawing all married men or those who had no children or only one child would be most inexpedient, as well as unnecessary,” said the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) to-day, in further reference to married territorials who might be balloted for overseas service next year. The Minister was speaking of reported complaints by some married members of the Territorial Force that, although they would be called up by ballot for overseas service during 1942, they would be required to do two months’ collective training with their units early that year. The rule adopted for men drawn in an overseas ballot, said the Minister, was: (a) If a man was, at the time of the ballot, performing his training with'a territorial unit in camp, he was required to complete the prescribed source of training; (b) if a man, at the time of the ballot, was not in camp, he was not required to enter camp. In substance, this practice had been in force from the beginning of the ballot system, and it was incorrect to state that a different policy had been adopted in the case of single men. “Stability Essential” The Minister emphasised the importance at present of retaining the stability of the Territorial Force, He added that all married men without children would not be drawn in the first ballot of married men, .and those not drawn in the first ballot would not be called up for some time. Until a man was drawn in the overseas ballot, it was not known whether an appeal would be lodged by him or on his behalf. If, therefore, married men were now to be discharged from the territorials, and if it was later found that they were ineligible for the Expeditionary Force, unnecessary confusion would result. If a married man who was in camp required time to make arrangements about his affairs when called in an overseas ballot after the conclusion of territorial training and before going to the Expeditionary Force, it was open to him to lodge an appeal. The Minister concluded that it was most unlikely that any man would be required to transfer immediately from a territorial camp to an Expeditionary Force camp.