THE HOME GUARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 78, 28 September 1940, Page 8

THE HOME GUARD

DISTRICT OFFICERS

FOUR NEW APPOINTMENTS

The appointments of the four following district commanders of the Home Guard were announced last' night by the Minister of National Ser-' vice (the Hon. R. Semple):— Auckland District.—Colonel M. Aldred, V.D., N.Z.E.F. 1915-17 Egypt and Palestine. Highest rank, temporary Major. Territorial Force 1908-34. Commanded Ist Auckland Mounted Rifles and Ist N.Z. Mounted Rifle Brigade. Highest rank, Colonel. Wellington District.—Colonel R. St. J. Beere, D.5.0., N.Z.E.F. 1914-19 Samoa, Egypt, and France. Highest rank, Lieutenant-Colonel. Commanded 4th Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade, D.S.O. dispatches. Territorial Force 1909-29. Commanded Ist Battalion Wellington Regiment and 2nd N.Z. Infantry Brigade. Highest rank, Colonel. Christchurch District.—Major G. E. F. Kingscote, N.Z.E.F. 1916-17. Intelligence Officer 3rd N.Z. Rifle Brigade 1917. British Army 1918-19, Dunsterforce Middle East G. 5.0.2 Intelligence Caucasus Army. Highest rank, Major. Dispatches. Dunedin District.—Lieutenant-Colonel A. S. B. Smith, E.D. N.Z.E.F. 1915-18 Otago Mounted Rifles Egypt . and France. Commissioned in the field 1918. Territorial Force 1920-37. Commanded Otago Mounted Rifles. Highest rank, Lieutenant-Colonel. The Minister said that the new officers had met in conference in Wellington with the Dominion commander, Major-General R. Young, to discuss the whole question of organisation, training syllabus, and the appointment of area commanders. They had now returned to their respective districts to take steps to bring the Home Guard into being as soon as possible. ALONG ARMY LINES. "In previous statements," said Mr. Semple, "it has been indicated that the organisation of the Home Guard, while not being a military establishment at this stage, would be developed very much along the lines of the Army, so that the closest collaboration would be ensured in the training and disposition of the Home Guard to render it an efficient supplementary body to the armed forces in time of need. It was decided, therefore, to divide the Dominion into district commands and those in turn into areas as is done with the Army organisation. "For the purposes of the Home Guard, however, it has been found desirable to have four district commands —two in the. North Island and two in the South Island—instead, of three as in the Army, as the division of the South Island into two. districts will allow of much quicker organising because less travelling by the respective district commander will be involved. "Great care has been exercised in the selection of personnel to undertake the work of district commanders," said the Minister, "and after very wide consultation with Major-General Young, the Returned Soldiers' Associations, local authorities, and others, the Government has been fortunate in securing the services of gentlemen with fine records who have agreed to. give their time gratis to this work."