VETERAN GUARD

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20257, 27 May 1940, Page 6

VETERAN GUARD

DISTRICT DEFENCE REINFORCING UNITS FOUR PLATOONS WANTED O.C. MUST GIVE FULL TIME Plans for the enrolment of a guard of fit men not exceeding 55 years of age, and capable of passing a fairly stiff medical examination, with a view to their being used for home defence in reinforcement of the territorial system, were explained to a large gathering at the Abercorn Hall on Saturday afternoon, when the formation of the Military Reserve company for Gisborne was under discussion. This district is to have a full company strength of the Military Reserve, Class If, and the conditions of enrolment are such that not all veterans under the age of 55 years can hope to qualify. Men with more than two children under 16 years* will not be accepted for any rank below that of a commissioned officer, and this will reduce the field of recruits for the force considerably. The medical examination, on the home-defence standard, is likely to cause the rejection.of some men who, until they face the doctors, will continue to believe that they are “as good as ever.” A further hurdle for some of those who can qualify for membership of the company is that there is to be no discharge during the continuance of the war. Men signed up for the company are under military discipline Cor the remainder of the period of hostilities. Perhaps the greatest handicap to a solid recruiting list, however, is that only men in close touch with the town of Gisborne are to be accepted. The essence of the scheme for forming the company is that the men must be available at short notice for the defence of the port and shoreline. The object of the Army Department is to have a unit which can be mobilised in a maximum of 20 minutes from the time of an alarm. Country members are barred, in general, but exceptions may be made in the case of a few who have speedy means of transportation available. Officers’ Training Schedule The scheme, as outlined at an Army Department conference early last week, was explained to over 300 returned soldiers on Saturday afternoon by Major A. H. Wright, area officer at Napier, who said that the training of officers and senior non-commis-sioned officers in the home-defence units would be commenced at once, these officers being expected to spend a full month in camp, under intensive instruction, by way of refreshing their own acquaintance with drill and the manual of arms, before they undertake to train the companies under their charge in the respective districts. The commanding officers, company sergeant-majors, and company quartermasters must be able to undertake this , month’s training schedule, and thereafter serve for the' duration of the war as members of the temporary staff of the New Zealand Army Department. They will be required to give their fuft time to the work, and when not engaged with the training of their companies may be used for other duties falling upon the temporary staff'. To each company there will be nominated four platoon officers, selected from among men who held commissions in the Great War; and noncommissioned officers down, to the rank of lance-corporal. These appointees will not be full-time soldiers, and will parade only when their unit parades. To Release Territorials It is proposed that in the event of danger of invasion, the home-defence units of the Military Reserve, Class 11, will fill any gaps left by transfers of territorial units elsewhere. Territorials will' be first called upon, and the reservists will reinforce their organisation. Training will be carried on under military discipline, and the reservists will be armed and uniformed by the Army Department. They will be responsible for their uniforms and equipment, and will complete a schedule equivalent to 40 days’ training in the year. The schedule will include night parades, half-day parades, and field work covering week-ends, it is anticipated. Special arrangements are to be made for indoor parades, as the Abercorn Hall is too small to answer the purposes even of the territorial units as now constituted. Reception of the scheme by the returned soldiers present at Saturday’s meeting was enthusiastic, though the enthusiasm was tempered markedly when the limitations as to age, familyresponsibilities and physical fitness were explained by Major Wright. The attitude almost unanimously taken by the Diggers was that the services of every man should be accepted, and facilities for training given, in order that they might share in the responsibility of local defence if the need arose. Age and Physical Condition Large numbers of those who heard Major Wright raised questions as to the possibility of veterans of the Great War being permitted to serve overseas. His reply to these questions was that the age limits of the Second New Zealand Division, as at present laid down, precluded the acceptance of almost all the men who fought in the last war, even though they might be fit enough. In answer to another question, Major Wright stated that those men v;ho could not qualify for the reserve company by reason of distance from town, or family responsibilities, would be encouraged to turn out and drill as auxiliaries to the reserve company. Colonel R. F. Gambrill addressed the meeting briefly, and called for the nomination of a company commander for the reserve company. Captain E. R. Black was nominated, and he agreed immediately to undertake the duties, his acceptance being subject to his passing the medical examination. It was arranged that a medical boaid would sit to examine volunteers for the reserve company to-morrow and on Wednesday, at the Abercorn Hall. To-morrow’s board will sit irom 9 a.m. to noon,, and from 8 p.m. onward, and will deal with volunteers whose initials fall within the “A to M” group; and Wednesday’s board, sitting at the same hours, will deal with the “N to W” group.