ARMY RECRUITING DRIVE

Press, Volume XC, Issue 27375, 14 June 1954, Page 3

ARMY RECRUITING DRIVE

Personnel Sought For All Branches

CAMPAIGN TO OPEN TODAY An intensive recruiting campaign for personnel for the New Zealand Army will be held throughout the Southern Military District during the next five weeks. The campaign will open in Christchurch today, and by July 21 a recruiting officer will have visited all main centres throughout the South Island.

Since 1951, the year in which the last recruiting drive was held in the South Island, it has not been necessary to hold drives because replacements were exceeding resignations and retirements. Last year, however, 200 more men left the regular force throughout the country than joined it. Similar campaigns will be held throughout the other two North Island military districts. In the year ending March 31 next, the Army will need about 900 enlistments. Most of the vacancies are for men, but there are also some for women and boys. In the South Island between 100 and 120 enlistments are wanted.

The men the Army is looking for are those between the ages of 18 and 27 who are prepared to make the Army their career. There are vacancies in skilled and unskilled work, and drivers and driver-mechanics are wanted in fairly large numbers, as are clerks, instructors in all corps, cooks, kitchen workers, and storemen.

For women, 18 years of age and over, the New Zealand Women’s Royal Army Corps is offering jobs as switchboard and teleprinter operators, typists, clerks, store workers, education assistants, librarians, and kitchen and mess workers. The Army is also anxious to recruit boys between the ages of 15J and 18, preferably those with at least two years’ post-primary education, who want to learn a trade or be trained as instructors. These boys, known as regular force cadets, train at a special school at Waiouru. This year -the Army wants up to 100 boys for all branches of Army work. Pay Scales The position in the South Island is not as grave as in other military districts, but even so there are large numbers of vacancies in all branches.

A married private enters on the 'basic pay scale —the lowest scale —receiving £lO 5s lid a week. If, however®a recruit is a tradesman, he will receive an appointment on a “star” basis, most tradesmen, such as A grade mechanics or fully-qualified carpenters, receiving a three or four-star grading. The weekly wage for a married private on four-star grading in these circumstances is £l3 15s lid. Recruits who have had previous Army experience may be taken on as non-commissioned officers, for whom the pay is appreciably higher. Within five years competent tradesmen may be graded as sergeants four-star, on a weekly wage of £l7 4s Id. The wage scale for women is also on a star basis. A private on the basic scale when entering receives £6 10s 8d if living otit of camp. Captain R. Adams, of the Royal New Zealand Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, will be the recruiting officer. After spending a week in Christchurch he will open the campaign at Ashburton on Junej 21, and Timaru on June 22. After finishing the southern part of the district, Captain Adams will tour the Marlborough-Nelson-West Coast district.