COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL REGULAR ARMY URGENTLY NEEDS THE SINEWS OF WAR

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30783, 22 June 1965, Page 14

COMMENT FROM THE CAPITAL REGULAR ARMY URGENTLY NEEDS THE SINEWS OF WAR

I From Our Parliamentary Reporter I

Though recruiting for New Zealand’s overseas land forces is still at crisis level, there is now no possibility that a special short-service “South-east Asia Force” on the lines of the “K-force” of 15 years ago' will be formed.

The view is held at all levels that any commitment will be earned out by the New Zealand Regular Army. It is believed that a realisation of this will aid in steering young men towards a military career, in that there is now no chance of the “amateur” occupying a percentage of the professional soldier’s jobs.

Apart from this, the regular soldier has had no joy in recent Government decisionsnone have reached either the Statute Book or the soldier’s paybook. The review of armed forces’ pay and conditions is still being “processed." though the new rates were expected to apply from April 1, and were to be announced later in April. Overseas Age-limit There is yet no confirmation of a proposal which the Minister of Defence (Mr Eyre) said on April 9 was being considered —the reduction of the age-limit at which regular soldiers could be sent overseas.

At present, while the rule exists that a soldier cannot be sent overseas until he is 21, with a 12-month period of grace if he has parental consent, many of the recruits, as well as some fully-trained soldiers now in Burnham. Papakura and Waiouru, cannot be considered as an overseas reinforcement.

The proposal was that the age should be dropped to 20. or 19 with parental consent. This would merely bring the Army into line with the other services. A Navy or Air Force recruit, entering the service (with parental consent) at 15 years three months and 17 years six months respectively, is eligible for overseas service at once. Little Stimulus

Reaction to the news of fighting in Vietnam has not shown itself in the recruiting figures. Since the report from Army Headquarters three months ago that recruitment for the small units then overseas was not keeping pace with the “trickle” replacement system, there has been little change. Recruiting authorities suggest that, though the complete figures for this month may show an improvement, it will not be great. The position in mid-March was that recruits for Malaysia were averaging 30 men a month—and the replacement system, even for that one battalion (not then operating under active-service. conditions) required a monthly average of 35. It was disclosed then that the Ist Battalion R.N.Z.I.R. depot at Burnham provided 25 men for this monthly trickle, and that the 10 others came from “other corps which would otherwise have little chance of overseas service.” Presumably this system is still proceeding. There were then more than 300 soldiers

at Burnham, but not all of these would be either fully trained or eligible by age to proceed overseas. Today, the New Zealand commitment in South-east Asia includes an infantry battalion, a Special Air Service unit, and a field artillery battery. It would be assumed that some of those “other corps" referred to would not have their own chance of overseas service, and would not be eligible to contribute men to the battalion. The Money Side The Army Estimates for 1965-66, tabled recently in Parliament provide for £820,000 as pay and allowances for 946 men in Southeast Asia. This would relate purely to the battalion committed to Malaysia. Even so, the three armed services face a bill of £1.821,300 merely for maintaining forces in South-east Asia. This has risen since last year, and will do so again—possibly in a spectacular way. The chairman of the Parliamentary Committee on Defence (Mr D. Maclntyre) estimates that the four-gun 161st Battery, 16th Field Regiment, which is shortly to go to Vietnam, will cost the New Zealand taxpayers about £2OO 000 a year to maintain there. The battery, which is only the size of a World War II 25-pounder troop, has a strength of 106 men.

Mr Maclntyre, who commanded the 4th Armoured Brigade in Italy, was awarded the Distinguished Service Order, and was a member of the Army Board until re-

Icently, might be expected to know more than the average member of Parliament about military matters. His appreciation is that, though New Zealand infantry and S.A.S. units are fully committed in Borneo, it is possible that further artillery or tank units could be supplied to Vietnam if the request is made.

The indication is strong that Supplementary Estimates now being prepared will add up to £5,000,000 to the Defence Estimate. Informed sources suggest that the present Defence figure of £40,000,000 has not made allowance for some eventualities which have already come to pass. Combat And Training

One of these is that the Malaysian and Vietnam commitments are already making inroads into the weapons and equipment intended for fully arming New Zealand’s putative combat brigade group. New Zealand’s defence policy has been aimed at bringing this brigade group into being, fully armed, in 1966-67. For that reason, expenditure on arms and equipment for the Army has been limited to a steady £1.5 million a year. Mr Eyre recently suggested that this programme would have to be accelerated. Though no special "defence tax” is likely to result, it is generally admitted that New Zealand is in urgent need of more modern arms.

These are needed to train recruits, as well as to send overseas in small packets. At present New Zealand has not enough of any modem weapon to be able to do both.