DOMINION REINFORCEMENTS.

Evening Star, Issue 16263, 4 November 1916, Page 4

DOMINION REINFORCEMENTS.

[Fr.Oit Ocn Own- CortKrsro.NDENT.] WELLINGTON, November 2. . "Am I right in thinking we send away 2,500 men every two months ?"' asks a correspondent, who proceeds to argue that if 20,000 fit men available for sendee can bo found in the First Division of the Expeditionary Force Reserve the supplyshould suffice for 16 months to come*. There would then be no need to call upon married men under the compulsory clauses of the. Military Service Act bofore the beginning of 1918. The position appears to be misunderstood by some people who have not noticed the successive increases in New Zealand's commitments for tho supply of reinforcements. The original Expeditionary Force, known as the main body, contained only 7,761 men. and the Dofenee Department's undertaking was to maintain that body at full strength for the period of the war. A monthly reinforcement draft of about 1,100 men appeared ample for that purpose. But the main body, on which' the rate of reinforcement is calculated, has grown by stages. The Rifle Brigade and other, additional units were formed, and at the close of the Oallipoli campaign New Zealand was supplying reinforcements on about 14,000 men! Before the New Zealandors moved to France tho nominal strength of the Expeditionary Force was increased substantially. Accumulated reinforcements were used to create a third Infantry Brigade, and the New Zealand Division was formed. The division contains rather more than 20.000 men. and the Dominion has undertaken to keep it at full strength for the period of the war. Then there is the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade, distinct from the division, and there are also certain other units, bringing the present nominal strength of the New Zealand Forces in the field to about 22,0C0 men. Tho actual rate of reinforcement, calculated on a percentage basis, is lower than it was in the earlv stages of the war, but tho nominal strength of each four-weekly reinforcement draft is- close upon 2.200 men. The recent announcement that artillery and Armv Service reinforcements- are "not required for a few months has reduced the actual strength of the drafts. The number ..!' m -n sent out of New Zealand f..- ; -l' :o rccs s ; nce t h e outbreak of war is b'jUv-.-.n 59,000 and 60.000. This total, of course, does not include the men at present in tho training camps in various stages of their preparation for service. Between 5,000 and 6,000" men have been invalided back to .New Zealand. The fijruresjitdicatc that substantial bodies of iyw Zealand troops are in reserve outside the Dominion. RO3LYN-KASKORAI WOMEN'S ASSOCIATION. I):m>itii>!!.* are acknowledged with thanks from the following :—Goods—Miss Clough, Airs 'lhomson, Mrs Bett. Mrs Kirkland. Mrs Anderson. Mrs P. J. Wales, Olive Boyd. Dolman parcels—Mrs Parr, Mrs tatterson. Monetary—Mrs Wilson. Mrs Sutherland, "A Friend," Mrs Sutherland s collection. Mrs Corbett's collection. Dominion parcels—Mrs Bowler, sen. Mrs Barnett, Mrs Dawson, Mrs Dawson's Sunday School class. Mrs Jones. A very gratifying amount of completed work was handled on Thursday, the consistent help ot the Kaikorai School children specially commendable. In connection with tho monthly Red Cross stall, the committee rely on the usual eenerosi'ty of the local residents to ensure a creditablp supply of goods beins sent forward for Saturday (November 11). Donations of money, (lowers, produce, home-made preserves of every variety, scones, cakes, sweets, etc., will be very welcome, and may be left at the Salvation Army hall next Thursday afternoon or at Mrs "Simpson's store on Friday. This week's parcel to the Early Settlers Hall consisted of the following goods :-4 khaki shirts, 3 print shirts" 3 muslm shirts, 3 suits pyjamas, 2 flannels, 9 balaclavas, 12 service bags, 12 soap bags, half a dozen pairs socks, 1 dozen tea towels, 1 dozen handkerchiefs, 1 dozen pairs socks (Dominion parcels)' 2 Belgian parcels. CLASSIFYING THE WOUNDED. STATEMENT Iy MINISTER OF DEFENCE. DIFFICULTIES To"fiE OVERCOME. rS.»KWAL to the ' Star.'] WELLINGTON, November.4. "The casualty reports received in NewZealand are not as full and definite as we would wish them to be," said the Minister of Defence. "The fault is not at this end. We are giving the people of New Zealand every bit of information that is received, and' we are communicating with the responsible authorities in London, with the ob'jeoi of securing irnprovemeuts in tho system; Wo are doing our lest to secure reliable classification cf ■•!:,• wci>::d'.-:L 50' tbaf relatives h-rj :•;•.•. i.nciv

whether a wound is slight, swrious, or dangerous, and we would like to be able to tell the next of kin in each case, and what hospital the patient is occupying. Tire difficulties admittedly are very great, especially when largo numbers of wounded men are being handled in a. hurry. Men are drafted into hospitals as occasion arises and space permits. The first consideration is to get them into the best possible surroundings as quickly as possible, and naturally the medical officers have,little time to spare for supplying information to inquirers. The records sSaS appear to bo doing their best, but they are liable to get swamped with message's of inquiry after the publication of long casualty lists in this country. The whole subject is receiving attention, and I have been in communication with the New Zealand base with the object of effecting improvements. ' The Defence Detriment would like to so arrange matters that the casualty .lists would contain the information desired by the relatives r,s to the nature of the injury, and would be entirely reliable. We would like to be able to give progress reports, so that there thero would be no need for private inquiries, which are always liable to add to tho troubjes of the overworked staff. These private inquiries sometimes assume very large proportions." The Minister added that he was convinced that the staff of the Records Office in New Zealand ■ were working emcieutly and well. If 'delays occurred and occa*sional mistakes had to be rectified, ihe fault did not lie with tho officers in New Zealand, who- were performing their -part of the work promptly and thoroughly. CAMP NOTES. TRENTHAM APPOINTMENTS. At Trent-ham Gamp the following officers have been allocated to the units named : —22 nd Reinforcements.— G Company.—Second Lieutenant V Marshall. —2."* d Reinforcements.— E Company.—Second Lieutenant C. F. Seaward. F Company.—Second Lieutenant M. Stedman. G Company.—Second Lieutenant W. J; Rodger. J Company.—Second Lieutenant F. L. Rees. The following temporary appointments have been approved bv the Camp Commandant (Lieutenant-colonel H. R. Potter) : —22 nd Reinforcements.— B Company.—To be orderly room corporal, Private J. H. M'Laren. D Company.—To be company sergeantmajor. Corporal 1). Cuthbertsbn; to be sergeants—Corporals E. J. Anderson. A. C. Stephens, G. M'Sheldon, A. G. Hunt, J. Barnett; to be orderly room corporal Private H. H. Rice. II Company.—To be orderly room corporal. Private E. W. Coldicutt. J Company.—To be sergeants—Corporal* H. A. Ward, G. E.-Murphy, G. H. Chuck, P. B. Ross, L. E. Johnson, W. M. Gotdon ; to be orderly room corporal, Private S. Quiuu. / ~~" * FEATHERSTON CAMP. The following temporary appointments at Featherston Camp have been approved : —2oth Reinforcements.— B Company.—To be corporals—Lancecorporals A. Higgins, J. Wemvss, N. C. S. Irons; to be lance-corporals—Privates M. F. Mullins, C. E. Prince, M. P. Sim, I. J. H. Curlett, F. J. Sparkes, K. L. K Rockruge. N. J. Crombie. F. C. Gardiner, W. I. MTveown. F Company.—To be corporals—Lancecorporals J. E. Barnard. E. L. Limbrick A. A. Sharpe. \V. E. R, Hind, A. B.' Scott, W. C. Whittington : to be lancecorporals—Privates a. W. Abbott J M'Conaghty, R. J. Swan, A. E. Andrews. C. E. Nicholson. —Headquarters Staff. Records Office.—To be orderly room clerks—Privates A. Brydon, L. Bradlev N. J. Winders. "' Army Pay Department,—To be. pavsergeant, Corporal E. 0. Barton. LAST MONTH'S DRAFT. STILL 730 "MEN SHORT. The total nmnber of men who wore eent into camp by the various districts on Wednesday towards reducing accumulated i shortages was 101. This Mill leaves the I unite :n camp no less than 780 men under, j establishment-. [ The number of men supplied by the | various districts and their shortages as they now stand are as under: Supplied Still Wednesday, ehort. Auckland district ... 38, * 129 Wellington district ... 38 158 Canterbury district ... 19 265 Otago district 6 230 Totals ... i 101 780 Of the existing shortage no less than 764 are in tho Infantry. CiVEN COMMISSIONS. TWENTY-THREE OF THE 19th N.C.O.S. Twenty-three n.co-6 of the 19th InfantryReinforcements have been granted commissions after qualifying by 'examination. Their names are as "follow": Sergeant R. P. Worlev, A Company. Sergeant T. H. B Company. Sergeant- F. J. Baker, D Company. C.S.M. A. B. Sands, Specialists'" Company. - / C.S.M". E. A. Craig. E Company. C.S.M. G. B. Brim ton, B Company. Sergeant H. M'K. Douglas, B Companv. Corporal N. R. W. Thomas. G- Companv. Sergeant J. Annstead, F Company. Sergeant C. R Cameron, D Company. Sergeant L. W. T. Grace. H Company. Sergeant J. C Nicholson, B Company". Sergeant F. J. Fisher, E Company. „ Sergeant F. W. Parrv. E Company. Sergeant W. D. C:elaud. D Companv. Sergeant R. E. Taylor, F Companv. ' Sergeant IT. R. Rcdwell, H Companv. Sergeant \\. H. Stevenson, H Company. Serjeant E, G. Ellis, A Companv. * Sergeant W. K. Fowler, J. Companv. Sergeant S. G. Prebble, D Company' Sergeant A. F. T. Munro, G Company. Sergeant G. H. Henderson, G Company. A HOSTEL FOR OUR RETURNED MEN. Since the war began many funds have been started and great sums of money raised by public appeal. But notable as has been the generosity of the public, the most remarkable contributions which have swelled the patriotic funds come not from adults, but irom children; not from the rich, but from the poor. The children's gifts have been practically unheralded • the public know little or nothing abuu't them.. Tlie little ones have given their mites and their help regularly and of set purpose ever since the war began. So far I the children have really nothing o.f a tangible nature to show "for their efforts. The youthful members of the Duuedin junior branch of the Overseas Club have eet themselves out to remedy this state of affairs, and purpose holding :l bazaar shortly in aid of establishing a, hostel which the returned men can make use of, and where they can find a home. The aim is to establish extira rooms at the soldiers' home in connection with the Y.M.0.A., and the members will be grateful for help of any kind from the public generally and from all school children in particular. Donations will be thankfully received daily at the room, No. 11 Express Buildings, every afternoon. It is hoped this appeal will meet with a generous response, and so enable the children to show something lasting' and useful as the result of their labors on behalf of our soldiers. [The cable news in this issue accredited to 'The Times' ha? appeared in that io-ir-ial, but only where exprp?«!v st-ii i !.< .-"■• hj news the editorial i..-..;-.t. 6'