HOME DEFENCE

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 2, 2 July 1940, Page 8

HOME DEFENCE

OPERATIONS IN WELLINGTON

WINTER SHOW BUILDING

The Wellington section of the home defence training scheme which came into operation yesterday is in full swing today at the Winter Show building, at Prince of Wales Park, Holieston Street Reserve, and the Hutt Recreation Ground. A company of the Ist Battalion, * Wellington Regiment (City of Wellington's Own) is working at each of those localities. Yesterday the whole battalion remained at headquarters, Winter Show building, for completion of organisation and other preliminary details, but this morning each company reported at the training groundl allocated to it. This morning all companies were carrying out squad drill in sections. More advanced phases of the training will be reached later, with night operations during the final month of the course. Training begins daily from Monday to Saturday at 8.30 a.m. and concludes at 4.30 p.m. from Monday to Friday inclusive, and at noon on Saturdays. Sundays will be free. During »he five full days an hour and a quarter will be taken off for lunch. All ranks of the battalion are required to provide their own lunch, but arrangements have been made to serve hot drinks at the parade grounds. Company commanders addressing their men yesterday explained to them that they are under military law, and asked them to be of exemplary behaviour. They are required to wear their uniforms during the three months' training period, whether on parade or not. They will be paid at home defence rates, which begin at 7s a day for privates, with daily allowances of 3s for a wife and Is 6d for each dependent child up to five in number. Wives will receive vouchers entitling them to collect their marriage allowances at any post office. All ranks will be paid fortnightly at unit headquarters. OFFICERS AND N.C.O.'S. Also quartered at the Winter Show building is the special branch of the Central Military District School of Instruction to provide an intensive two months' course of instruction for officers and n.c.o.s of certain Territorial units from parts of the Central District outside Wellington. The whole of yesterday was occupied with settling the trainees into their barracks in the Show building, to preliminary organisation and so on. A start was made this morning on the training syllabus. Painters and plumbers are still working on interior alterations to the building to provide accommodation for the 400 officers and n.c.o.s attending the C.D.S.I. courses, but this work is nearly completed.