MARRIED SOLDIERS

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 51, 24 November 1941, Page 8

MARRIED SOLDIERS

Stable Territorial Force Essential

LIABILITY FOR TRAINING “It is very important that the stability of the Territorial Force should be disturbed as little as possible,” said the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones, in a further reference on Saturday to married Territorials who may be balloted for overseas service next year. He added that to deplete the Territorial Force at this stage by withdrawing all married men, or those who had no children or only one child, would he most inexpedient as well as unnecessary.

Reference was made by the Minister to reported complaints by some married members of the Territorial Force that, though they would be called up by baHot for overseas service during 1942, they would be required to do two months’ collective training with their units early that year. He explained that the rule that had been adopted in respect of men drawn in an overseas ballot was: (a) If the man was at the time of the baHot performing his training with a Territorial unit in camp, he was required to complete the prescribed course of training; (b) if the man at the time of the ballot was not in camp, he was not required to enter camp. In substance, he said, this practice had been in force from the start of the baHot system, and it was incorrect to state that a different policy was adopted in the case of single men. Little Disturbance Essential.

“It will be readily appreciated that with conditions as they are at present,” continued Mr. Jones, “it is very important that the stability of the Territorial Force should be disturbed as little as possible. It will also be apparent that if a unit is in camp, specially for collective training, the withdrawal of a considerable number of men would cause serious dislocation of training. It is, of course, inevitable that by reason of • sickness and for other causes some men have to be withdrawn from camp during the training, but it is important that the number so withdrawn should be kept down to a minimum. If, on a ballot being published, all Territorials in camp who are included in the ballot were at once withdrawn, the organization, training, and efficiency of the units would be prejudicially affected.” The Minister said that all the married men without children would not. be drawn in the first ballot of married men, and those who were not drawn in the first ballot would not be called up for some time. Till a man was drawn in an 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 Territorial Force, and if it were found later that they were ineligible for the Expeditionary Force, unnecessary confusion would result. If a married man who was in camp when called in an overseas ballot required time to make arrangements about his affairs, after the conclusion of the Territorial Force training and before going to the Expeditionary Force, it was open to him to lodge an appeal. The Minister added, however, that it was most unlikely that any man would be required to transfer immediately from a Territorial Force camp to an Expeditionary Force camp