ARMY EQUIPMENT

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 71, 21 September 1943, Page 6

ARMY EQUIPMENT

HUGE STORES IN NXTASK OF MAINTENANCE The Army in New Zealand is still in existence. This might be news to some people who appear to be under the impression that with the transfer of the military forces to a non-mobilised basis there was hardly any Army left in this country. The fact is that, apart from the non-mobilised Territorials who are at call for combat operations if and when required, a substantial full-time Army establishment has still to be maintained. It has to be maintained for coastal defence and antiaircraft defence work, and not the least of its responsibilities is the maintenance of the huge amount of equipment stored in this country.

Prior to Japan's,entry into the war, New Zealand had pi-actically no forces mobilised within the country, other than 'coast artillery. When Japan came in there was an enormous increase' in Army authorisation, resulting in the complete mobilisation of forces, which, however, Had very little equipment at their disposal. Representations to the War Office brought speedy results, and before long large quantities of equipment started to flow over the New Zealand wharves. At that time, the Dominion's demands were based on the complete requirements for the reorganised forces, which consisted of three divisions in New Zealand, the. division in the Middle East, and other small forces in the Pacific. That equipment consisted of a very large number of motor transport vehicles, , guns, armoured fighting vehicles, including tanks, and other materials for' Army needs, all of which have been received in New Zealand.

In view of the changed conditions in the Pacific, there was a reorganisation of the Army, which resulted in many units being disbanded, and a change-over to the non-mobilised basis of Territorial service in the case of| other units, except those needed for coastal and anti-aircraft defence. The ordnance stores: were totally insufficient to hold all the equipment from the demobilised units, and generally the equipment on charge to those units had to remain in their possession. For that purpose, some men were retained with each unit. READY FOR INSTANT SERVICE. The condition ■- of the change-over was that the forces should be capable of remobilisation when necessary. That meant that the equipment needed for the use of the remobilised forces had to be retained intact and maintained ready for instant service; As far as [possible certain equipment, particularly motor-trucks, tanks, arid other armoured fighting vehicles, are being concentrated in depots throughout the country in charge of selected service personnel. This policy of concentrating equipment is a real help in personal economy. . The value of the equipment now stored in this country runs into many millions of pounds, and constant care has to be taken of it in case it is needed. The mere job of looking after it is a big one. Take a tank, for example. Every one that is stored has to be moved every: so often to take the weight off v certain parts, engines have to be warmed up to keep them i m working condition, and particular care—the task of specialists—has to be taken of; the instruments that make up part of/a tank's, equipment. A tank contains several thousand parts, and each one has to be accounted for. The gun alone contains 207 separate pieces of mechanism. The check-up on a tank fills five foolscap pages. In addition, supplies of valuable spare parts for all vehicles and equipment have to be protected from rust and deterioration. .

The men engaged in this branch of Army service are doing a full-time job of first-rate importance. "You have only to look round at the equipment we have to care for here to realise that the Army, too, has a claim on manpower," remarked the commandant of one of these depots, when paying a tribute to the thorough way in which his men did their work.

REPORT ON SIKORSKI CRASH Rec. noon. RUGBY, Sept. 20. . The Air Ministry announces the report of the court of inquiry which investigated'the cause; of, the Liberator accident at Gibraltar oniJuly 4 last in which. General Sikorski, the Polish Prime Minister, lost his life. This states that the accident was due to the jamming of the elevator controls shortly after his take-off with the result that the aircraft became uncontrollable.

After a most careful examination of all the available evidence, including that of the- pilot, it has not been possible to determine how the jamming 6ccurerd, but it has been established that there was no sabotage. It is also clear that the captain of the aircraft was a pilot of great experience and exceptional ability and was in no way to blame.

An officer of the Polish Air Force attended throughout the proceedings. —8.0. W.