HOME GUARD

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23626, 1 May 1942, Page 6

HOME GUARD

MEN AGED 35 TO 51 TO ENROL APPLICATION TO BE MADE BY MAY 7 (P.R.) WELLINGTON, April 30. Compulsory enrolment for Home Guard service of all male British subjects resident in the Dominion who have attained the age of 35 years but not the age of 51 years is required by an order gazetted to-day. With the exception of certain exempted classes, these men are to apply for enrolment not later than May 7. Forms of enrolment are available at all post offices, and these must be forwarded to the secretary of the manpower committee for the district in which the man concerned resides. The Minister for National Service (the Hon. R. Semple) said that the calling-up of men in this age group for service in the Home Guard would naturally deplete E.P.S. organisations of their personnel. It did not necessarily follow that, because a man applied for enrolment with the Home Guard, he would be selected for Home Guard service. Selection committees would be formed in the various centres, consisting of representatives of the E.P.S., Home Guard and manpower committees, and full consideration would be given to a man’s suitability for service from the point of view of his occupation, his medical' fitness, and the position he held in ther Emergency Precautions Services.

“Every ballot which is undertaken to provide men for territorial service naturally depletes Home Guard units,’’ said Mr Semple, “and for this reason, therefore, it is desirable to have available men who may be called up for Home Guard service at short notice, so as to avoid units being under strength.

“The whole purpose in calling up men for Horae Guard service is part of the national policy to ensure the best possible use of the available manpower in regard to the needs of the Armed Forces, the Home Guard and the Emergency Precautions Services.” Men not required to enrol are as follows:—Present members of the Home Guard; members of the Armed Forces or those discharged from the forces as permanently medically unfit; policemen; flrebrigadesmen (including fulltime employees of fire boards and brigades); voluntary and auxiliary firemen and members of the Emergency Fire Service; regional commissioners and district controllers; chairmen and deputy chairmen of central committees of E.P.S. organisations: district wardens, controllers and sub-control-lers of E.P.S. units; seamen; medical practitioners; pharmacists and dispensers; judges, magistrates: ministers of religion; Maoris; persons in receipt of invalid pensions and war pensions payable in respect of disablement at 75 per cent, or more; inmates of hospitals, mental hospitals, blind institutions and prisons.