N.Z. ARMY

Evening Post, Volume XCVII, Issue 27, 31 January 1919, Page 6

N.Z. ARMY

WATCH ON THE RHINE

ENDING

DEMOBILISATION ARRANGE-

MENTS

HOW THE WORK IS TO PROCEED

(From N.Z. Official War Correspondent) LONDON, 28th January.

Demobilisation of the Division has been proceeding steadily from Germany; 3500 have- already left, and in about nine weeks, if all goes well, the New Zealanders' "watch on the Ehine" will have ended. As demobilisation, progresses Units are reorganised and! amalgamated. Infantry reinforcements are be-, ing gradually reduced by a process of amalgamation that will preserve their identity, till finally there i will be an amalgamation of those remaining in tie Auckland and Wellington units to from ' a North Island Battalion, and those in Canterbury and Otago to form a South Isla,nd Battalion. Similarly the Itifle Brigade is being reduced to one battalion. Other units are being dispersed by process of reduction and amalgamation. The Maori Battalion, which was demobilised as a unit, is already en route to New Zealand. In the Divisional Artillery the batteries are being gradually reduced. The light trench-mortar batteries are being L disbanded, and the medium trench-mortar batteries Have been absorbed in tha D.A.C.; Horses and vehicles *re being disposed of here. Equipment for the New Zealand Post Bellum Defence Forces, including field guns, trenchmortars, and machine-guns, will eventually be sent to New Zealand, but in view of present shipping scarcity, this will take a considerable time. Demobilisation is being carried out on the basis of length of service. Officers and others desiring it can obtain their discharge .in England. Four pierrot companies and thirteen bands are being demobilised as units, special arrangements being made for the' custody of the valuable sets of instruments that have been acquired. A Canteens' Board has been formed in the Expeditionary Force to deal with the accumulated profits, which are considerable) in the interests of the troops generally during ■ demobilisation, or to be held on account of particular units. Demobilisation will most probably continue to be from English ports, a fortnight's leave being granted before departure. Evacuation, of the camps and hospitals in England has already commenced. Tli© Field Artillery "Depot- at Ewshott, the Signal Depot at Stevenage, the hospitals at Sidcup, and Engineers' Depot at Boscombe have already been evacuated. Approximate dates for the evacuation of others are : Machine-gun Depot, Uranthaui, 29th January; Brockenhurst Hospital, 31st January; Rifle Depot, Brockton, 4th February; Convalescent Hospital, Hornchurch, 25th February ; Auxiliary and General Hospital and Motor Transport Section, Oatlands, 25th. February; G Group, Torquay,, 11th March; Officers'. Convalescent Hospital, Brighton, - 18th March; Nurses' .Home, Brighton,'; 25th March-; B Group, Codford, 2nd April,; Hospital, Codford, 9th April j Hospital, Walton, and A Group, Sling, Ist June; London,. August; Motor Transport Department, Weybridge, August. These dates , will depend largely on the amount of shipping allocated, for. demobilisation, and might be detrimentally afffecfced by the strikes of coal' miners ' or transport workers in Great Britain. In the final stages Codfortl will be a receiving depot, Sling a reorganising depot, and i Torquay a discharge depot. Various officers havebeen selected to proceed to New Zealand in connection with the demobilisation there.