TERRITORIALS

Evening Star, Issue 17954, 27 April 1922, Page 12

TERRITORIALS

[By SKIRMISKER.] Items of interest concerning Corps (Town or Country), shooting, and lerntonal notes generally will be acceptedaddressed to “ Skirmisher, should be. in hand not later than Monday morning Appointments, promotions, resignations, and transfers of officers of the New Zealand Staff Corps and Territorial Forces: —The Otago Regiment.— D'Arcy Harper Moir, to bo Mentjmant _ (let Battalion], dated December 14, 1921; j Herman Karl Webb, to bo second hou-1 tenant on probation (7th L Battalion), dated March 25. 1922. Major D. White is transferred to tiro Reserve of Officers, Claes 11. (b), B.D. 11, , dated March 27, 1922 ; Major T. J. Hussey is transferred to the Reserve of Officers, Class 1. (b), R.D. 11, dated March 31, 1922. —Southern Command.— The undermentioned arc posted to the Retired List under tho provisions of Gen- [ oral Headquarters Instruction No, 56/21, | dated March 23, 1922:—Lieutenant (temp. I captain) H. P. Pail-rick M.C., with tho j rank of captain; Lieutenant J. N. Walsh; j Lieutenant L. 11. Marshall; Lieutenant F. B. Adams; Second Lieutenant B. C. M'Artney; Lieutenant H. A. Foote, M.M. (late Reserve of Officers (temp.); Second Lieutenant D. R. Camibhers (late N.Z. Rifle Brigade, Earl of Liverpool s Own). | Second Lieutenant G. Ill‘Laron (Into | Unattached List. General List) is trans- ( ferred to tho Reserve of Officers. Class I. (b), R.D. 11, dated March 23, 1322. r, •» » * Particulars regarding tho issue of war medals and certideale.s to men who had served in the Groat War or to their relatives -were given to the ‘Meekly Press by the Hon. Sir R. Heal on Rhodes, Minister of .Defence. The particulars, winch were prepared by Major-general Chav to?', Commandant of the Now Zealand Military i Forces, were as follow : —t he number of war medals issued up to March 01, 1922, is; 1914-15 Star 25.985 British War Medal 85,096 , Victory Medal 29,005 Total 140,136 , Of the above number of medals issued, ; 293 1914-15 Stars and 2,452 British Wav • and Victory Medals have been relumed unclaimed. In addition about 2,C00 medals are still held, and cannot be despatched until an address for each is available. Tho number of plaques despatched up to March 31 was 15,200; of these, 1,200 | arc being shipped this month to the High 1 Commissioner for distribution to next of ■ kin in tho United Kingdom. Hierc arc 1 approximately 22,000 plaques yet to bo distributed. Tho issue of these certificates has up to the present been con- i fined to those men who served honorably with tho N.Z.E.F., and were intended originally as discharge certificates, '.they were, therefore, not issued to tho next of kin of those who died on service. It has now been approved that these certificates, with certain slight alterations rendered necessary to make, it. suitable, shall bo issued to the next of kin of those soldiers who died wlilio on service with the N.Z.E.F. or who died in Now Zealand as tho result of active service prior to receiving such certificate. » ■» ■* it First Battalion, Otago Regiment, made i a good showing at tlio'Anzac Day parade. The battalion mustered thirteen officers, ninety rank and file, and twenty-niuo band, who wore in charge of Lieutenant* colonel O.C. Battalion. They assembled at tho Art Gallery, and marched to tho Returned Soldiers’ Club Room, where they joined the procession to Ilia Majesty's Theatre. A very pleasing feature was tho number of officers who paraded with tho battalion. Tho rest of the officers on parade were in the ranks of the returned soldiers. » •* t:- •» Wednesday and Thursday evenings this week have been occupied at Kensington with the medical examination of Senior Cadets prior to their being posted to Territorials. The much-depleted staff has been kindly assisted by tho officers and n.c.o.s of tho First Battalion, and about 250 lads per night have been examined. Tho training of the First Battalion is now nearing completion for tho year, there being only two more night drills for each company. Musketry is being carried on every Wednesday afternoon and Saturday morning and afternoon. I understand that there are still a few who have not fired their annual musketry course. These trainees would ,bo well advised if they made strong efforts to complete in the near future. Besides the very probable chance of prosecution, they may find their term of training unduly prolonged. In the coming posting of Territorials to tho Reservo efficient trainees—i.e., ones who have completed both drill and musketry, are the first to be posted. Tho may probably be kept for another year to complete the necessary establishment. # « # K As a result of being unable to obtain 1 the addresses of next of kin of deceased soldiers in a large number of cases, the Defence Department is in possession of quite a number of unclaimed memorial plaques and scrolls. With this exception, tho work of despatching tho memorials issued on account of those members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who died overseas is practically completed. Plaques and scrolls are distributed under regulations which prescribe that the recipients are to bo tho nearest of kin of tho deceased at tho date when tho plaque and scroll were posted, and there is no question of legal succession. Those who are entitled to memorials on account of soldiers who died overseas, but have not received them, should at onco notify the Officer-in-chargo War Accounts and Records Office, Wellington, who is also receiving applications for plaques and scrolls on account of those soldiers who have died as a direct result of war service subsequent to being discharged from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. It hae been decided to issue memorial plaques to the next of kin of those members of tho N.Z.E.F. who did not have overseas service, but died while in camp. Application for these plaques should be mack immediately by tho next of kia to the Officer-in-cliairgo W T ar Accounts and Record®. Nearly 1,400 members of the Expeditionary Force have failed to notify the Officer-in-chargo War Accounts anti' Records of their addresses or changes of addresses so that he can issue to thorn their war medals and certificates of service with tho N.Z.E.F. This particularly applies to men discharged overseas who have returned to Now Zealand. Almost every day men write complaining of delay in issuing medals, >nd it is almost invariably found that the cause of tire delay is due to tho fact that tire medals have been posted to tho last ku wrr address of the soldier, and have been returned through the Dead Letter Office. Th«_ department is now completing the writing of illuminated certificates, and tho unclaimed ones will bo stored and delivered as tho addressee of tho soldiers become known.