CENTRAL MILITARY DISTRICT

Dominion, Volume 32, Issue 256, 27 July 1939, Page 13

CENTRAL MILITARY DISTRICT

Shortage Of Officers Only OTHER RANKS EXCEED ESTABLISHMENT The total number of territorial noncommissioned officers and privates in the Central .Military District now exceeds the peacetime establishment recently approved by the Government, though there is still a shortage of commissioned officers, figures given yesterday by Colonel E. Puttick, show the strength of the territorial army in the Central .Military District to be 228 officers and 4959 other ranks. The num ber of commissioned officers needed to bring units up to strength is 90. In order that units of the force might be properly organized each centre had been given a quota to till when the recruiting campaign began, said Colonel Puttick. Some centres had exceeded their quotas by considerable numbers while others were still a few short. The total number of noncommissioned officers and men, however, exceeded establishment by 87. Colonel Puttick pointed out that all units were allowed to recruit to war establishment. This was particularly important in the case of the 15th Battery (Wellington), which was a highly technical unit with fortress guns, searchlights, engines, complicated signal communications and ranging equipment, as well as light machine-guns and rifles. Altogether there were 20 units In the district, he said. Five of them were still short of establishment. The 15th Battery (Wellington) required 19 men. the 22nd Anti-Aircraft Battery (Wellington), 15 men, the 2nd Field Company, New Zealand Engineers (Wellington), 11 men, the Wellington West Coast Regiment (with headquarters in Wanganui), 97 men, and rhe Taranaki Regiment, 92 men. The remaining 15 units were all over strength. In the last week the Manawatu Mounted Rifles had gained 40 recruits, the Wellington West Coast Regiment 30. Queen Alexandra’s Mounted Rifles (with headquarters in Hawera) 23, and the Taranaki Regiment 34. The results were very satisfactory, and al! concerned were to be congratulated. said Colonel Puttick. Recruiting was still proceeding, and at many centres there were a number of men who had offered their services, but had not yet been medically examined.