HOME GUARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 121, 18 November 1940, Page 8

HOME GUARD

MEMBERS WANTED

RETURNED SOLDIERS

CHANGE IN POLICY

No more Class 11 units of the National Military Reserve will be formed, according to a statement made today by the Minister of Defence (Mr. Jones), who emphasised the desirability of returned soldiers who have enlisted in the reserve, and whose services have not been availed of, joining up with the Home Guard.

"The Government has periodically reviewed the Dominion's requirements in armed forces, and quite recently the number of units of the National Military Reserve, Class 11, has been increased, and independent squadrons of mounted rifles added to the land forces," said Mr. Jones.

"The National Military Reserve units and independent mounted rifle squadrons are considered of vital importance to the defence of the localities to which they have been allotted, but the coastline of New Zealand is a long one and there are many places outside those localities at which landings may be made.

"The Government has decided that for the present no more Class II units of the National Military Reserve will be formed but that the land forces should be supplemented by the formation of the Home Guard.

"The Commander of the Home Guard, under the direction of the Minister of National Service, is now engaged in organising units of the Home Guard throughout New Zealand. The role of the Home Guard in taking its place alongside the Army in the defence of New Zealand was recently outlined by the Inspector-General, Major-General Sir Andrew Russell, in a broadcast which was also reported in the Press. A SIGNAL SERVICE. "Reference was made in this statement to the importance of all returned soldiers not enrolled in a recognised unit of the National Military Reserve offering their services tq the Home Guard. I wish now myself to emphasise the importance of such action on their part, and to say that all returned soldiers who have enlisted in the National Military Reserve and whose services have not been availed of by the Army in units already formed will be doing a signal service to their country by joining the Home Guard. It is just such men who, by reason of their military experience, can provide instructors and leaders for Home Guard units. Further, the Government does not intend to embody any additional units in the National Military Reserve, and consequently in futile the only opportunity for rending such service | will be in the Home Guard. "I therefore urge all those in the National Military Reserve not already on the strength of an Army unit to enrol now in the Home Guard. coast Protection. "The Home Guard units will be re- ! quired to undertake various duties and among these will be preparation for the protection of the coastline in many parts, the preparation of military reports on the sector for which each unit is responsible, and the consideration of many other problems which are likely to arise in the event of an attack being made on New Zealand, all with the object of increasing the state of preparedness of the Dominion's defences. "Although the Home Guard will not form part of the military forces at this stage, it is intended that should it be found necessary during an emergency, units or sub-units of the Home Guard will be absorbed into the Army. "Meanwhile it is hoped that the formation and organisation of units of the Home Guard will proceed rapidly and smoothly in order that the whole Dominion may be properly organised into sectors with a unit of the Home Guard in each, and the training of men commenced without delay. "All, therefore, who are desirous of contributing to the service of New Zealand in these difficult times and who are eligible for enrolment in the Home Guard are invited to communicate with the local organisers of the Home Guard."