YOUNG OFFICERS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVI, Issue 150, 22 December 1938, Page 11

YOUNG OFFICERS

DUNTROON TRAINING?

SERVICE IN DOMINION

Seven of the ten New Zealand officers who graduated this year from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Australia, and who returned by the Wanganella from Sydney on Tuesday, have been posted to the New Zealand Defence Forces. They are Lieutenants R. B. Dawson, W. C. T. Foley, M. T. S. Dew, A. J. Young, D. Curtis, I. A. Murray, and F. N. Armstrong.

The other graduates are Lieutenants R. de la Cour, R. B. Symon, and J. Burns. Lieutenant Symon also arrived by the Wanganella, the other two remaining in Australia. He is to return to Sydney to join Lieutenants de la Cour and Burns and with them will attend a special course in coast artillery for three months, commencing on January 9. These men will then return to New Zealand for duty with artillery units. The Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) said in an interview with "The Post" today that those who had graduated this year were sent to Duntroon under the arrangement made with the Australian Government, whereby a certain number of New Zealanders were being trained at that establishment to become officers in the regular forces. This was one of the many directions in which close cooperation was being maintained between Australia and New Zealand to the mutual benefit of both Dominions.

Six of the ten graduates had completed a four years' course and the remaining four a three years' course, because the term had been reduced from four to three years, to enable a greater number of men to be dealt with. Of those who had completed

the three years' cotirse; Lieutenant Symon had graduated first in the complete class, and' had been awarded the Sword Of Honour-and the King's gold .medal for that outstanding achievement.

These young officers were being posted to various stations throughout New Zealand, and would prove of great assistance to the regular staff in connection with the training of Territorials.

Mr. Jones said that cadets for Duntroon were obtained from speciallyselected secondary school pupils who had passed the matriculation examination and who possessed outstanding personal qualifications. At the moment names were being submitted for the next batch of cadets, a number of whom would attend the Army School at Trentham on February 4 for a week's training prior to final selection. Those chosen would commence their training at Duntroon early in March next year.