HOME GUARD

Evening Star, Issue 23745, 28 November 1940, Page 3

HOME GUARD

TWO BATTALIONS FORMING GARRISON HALL FOR TRAINING The new and simplified form which volunteers for the Home Guard and Emergency Precautions Scheme }vilJ fill in is now available and is being used at the enlistment depots at the Octagon and South Dunedin. The clause relative to the volunteer accepting full responsibility tor injury and accident arising from his services has been deleted. There is nothing extraneous about the form, which can be filled in in a minute or two. Volunteers for both services are required to sign a declaration on the back of the form that in the case of emergency arising from fire, earthquake. flood, epidemic, or enemy action they will place their services unreservedly at the disposal of the corps. Volunteers for tho Home Guard in addition take an oath of allegiance to tho King. Volunteers are enrolling at a steady rate, although a trifle slowly. However, that rate has quickened perceptibly during the past week or two, and altogether some 00 odd have joined in Dunedin. 1,674 in the Central Otago district, and 1,200 in Invercargill. _ This home defence force in Dunedin will be divided into two battalions. No. 1 battalion covering the southern area, while the No. 2 battalion will comprise a central or northern area, the dividing line being roughly at Kensington. OFFICERS APPOINTED. The officers of tho No. 1 Battalion are Colonel J, M'Crae, 0.C.; Captain C. G. Hedge, second in command; Captain P. A. Smith, adjutant; Cantain J. H. A. MTveefry, Lieutenants J. G. Dykes. S. A. Ibbotson, J. W. Thomson, company commanders; and H. Hodgson and 11. Herbert, platoon commanders.

Officers for the No. 2 Battalion are: —Major W. E. Earnshaw, commanding officer; Captain L. G. Lilly, second incommand; Captain D. Llewellyn and Captain L. L. E. Davies, adjutants; Captains D. A. Solomon, R. W. S. Rotting, O. J. Begg. and Lieutenant K. J. Parker, company commanders; Lieutenants J. M‘Dougall, S. D. M'Pberson, and F. L. Scrivener, platoon commanders.

All these appointments are tentative and may be altered or added to. and have yet to be confirmed. Instructions for officers commenced on Tuesday night at tbe R.S.A. Hall, so that they will be in a position to take over tbe training of the various infantry battalion units shortly. Initial training for the battalions will commence next week, No. 2 battalion in the Garrison Hall, Dowling street, which has been secured for Home Guard purposes, and the No. 1 battalion at St. Kikla on Thursday. As training expands suburban balls will be used in the various districts, so that tbe work can be carried on with the least possible delay to work or business. At the outset it is proposed to concentrate on men who can handle a rifle and who know something about drilling, so that platoons may be quickly formed. Those will be tbe nucleus of tbe battalions to be built up and from which the organisation may expand. The Otago-Sonthland district commander. Lieutenant-colonel Bruce A. S. Smith, visited Milton to-day on Home Guard organisation work. He will be at Middlemarch to-morrow. Port Chalmers on Monday next, and Balclntba tbe following Wednesday. AREA OFFICERS. Following are tbe area officers under the southern district command: — Dunedin : F. B. Adams. Queenstown : A. M‘Kon/.ie. Oamaru; A. S. Tonkin. Gore: E. F. Selby. Invercargill: W. Bell. SOLDIERS ENTERTAINED. Men of the fourth reinforcement on leave return to camp to-morrow and Saturday. They were entertained this afternoon by tbe Executive Committee of tbe R.S.A. on behalf of members of the club, and this evening they will be entertained at a reception, in the form of a dance and buffet supper, at the Town Hall. 'There are still a large number of volunteers who have not been called to the colours These men will comprise the fifth reinforcement, and will go into camp for training early in January, FUNCTION AT BAY. The Maeandrew Bay Patriotic Committee arranged an enjoyable function to Bay residents on leave in the form of a dance, the proceeds from which will be given to the Spitfire Fund. Mr W. Brookman, who presided, called upon Mr H. Trevena to express the good wishes of residents to the guests of the evening and to hand to each a token of remembrance in the form of a money belt. The recipients were Lieutenant W. Small and Privates F. Percy, W. Bennett. J. Mellon, and T. Earnshaw, and also Mr Brian M'Pherson, who will leave almost immediately to enter tbe Royal Naval College at Dartmouth