ARMY TRAINING

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 190, 8 May 1943, Page 4

ARMY TRAINING

Bearing On All Men Of Military Age HOME GUARD POSITION No date lias been made tlie operation of the new Anmy training plan for noil-mobilized troops announced 'by 'the . General Officer Gocnmanding the New Zealand Forces, Lieut.-General E, Puttlck, D. 5.0., but if made fully effective it will bear on every man of military age who lias been released frem camp for essential wonk or who 'balloted but not posted to the forces. Broadly tu>eak> ing, tlie plan provides for part-time service—a month’s recruit training in camp and 'two days a month out-of-ca'mp training—for all grade 1 and grade 2 ■ men not now in the forces. With men on release, and those for whom appeals against general service have been lodged, tout not yet heard, appellant employers can assist the plan considerably fiy making an early survey of their staffs and deciding which men l can be released for the month’s training. There still exists tlie right of appeal in' respect of this part-time service, giving employers and individuals the opportunity to present their cases. The less advantage taken of this the more quickly, smoothly and efficiently the new plan can oiierate. It is considered that the plan should entail a review of the position of every balloted man and any volunteers released on sine die adjournments. This in itselt will involve considerable wprk. The cadres of selected personnel form the basis of the new training plan with the war establishment of units made up of non-mobilized troops now released for industry and fresh recruits who will be called up and, after the month’s training at a recruit depot, posted to a unit. Men who have had training past the recruit stage will be posted to units .according to their previous experience. Full-Scale Mobilization.

The release of men for essential work and to the RIN.Z.A.F., the release of the 18 and 19-year-plds and the reinforcement demands of the 2nd N.Z.h.B . have brought the mobilized Territorial Force strength down. The new when properly under way will enable a full-scale mobilization to be carried out rapidlv in the event of emergency. After non-mobilized troops have done their month's recruit training they will be returned to their civilian occupations and do two days a month out-of-camp training with the units to which they have been posted. 4 This two days’ training a month will probably be don’e on Sundays, as has been the practice with Home Guard units. It will not be paid for, but the months camp training will be at ordinary military rates.- Some hardship may arise where men whose domestic commitments are on a basis of civilian pay, in many cases higher than normal because of overtime earnings in essential industries, find themselves on Army pay for a month. Men posted to camp for full-time mobilization have to adjust their circumstances accordingly. This- would not apply to those absent from their homes only a month. „ . V, „ Under the plan the Territorial I'orce will take in as non-mobilized troops all grade 1 and grade 2 men between 18 and 41 and possibly, if the required strength is not obtained from these groups, balloted inen up'to 4u. Grade 1 and grade 2 men up to the age of 41 will be affected, as well as the few youths under 21 v;ho have been granted postponements of service conditional on Home Guard service. Home Guard officers and men. unless there are snecial reasons why they are not available for the Territorial I’orce. will go through recruit training depots before being posted to units according to their efficiency. The Home Guard will then be left with grade 3 men 'in the ballot groups up to 41 years, plus men of 41 to 4u years, youths of 16 to 18 years, and those over military age. Between the lerritoriai Force and Home Guard the former will take priority. Month’s Camp Training. The point at issue in appeals against service under this plan for non-mobilized troops will be whether or not a man can be released for a month. Apart from the month’s training the obligations ot both the Territorial Force and the Home Guard are the same —two days a month out of camp. It follows, therefore, that the mSn in the Home Guard who can do the month’s recruit training can carry out the other obligation in the Territorial Force of two days a month training. . All recruits cannot receive their month’s training at once, but the courses at the recruit training depots will have to be filled each month. This objective can be greatly assisted by, the co-opera-tion of employers holding men on appeal from full-time service. Grade 1 and grade 2 men. (the lattei for garrison duty only) will continue to be posted to camp in order of their domestic status to fill overseas ieintoi.eements needs, or to make up dehciencies in the strength of the mobilized home defence forces when men are drawn from these for overseas. . It is likely that men in out-of-way nlaces who cannot do their two days a month training with a Territorial unit will be permitted to perforin it with the nearest Home Guard unit. They will, however, still do their months recruit training Jn a camp. Some problems that arise in connexion with the new scheme have still to be settled. There is the question of ‘ oneman” farmers x.nd businesses, the periods of the year at which farmers and farm workers in different classes of farming could get off to a month’s camp without interfering with the production output, and the general exemption ot such a class as miners.