STILL UNCERTAIN

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21978, 23 March 1946, Page 6

STILL UNCERTAIN

BRIGADE IN DOMINION MORE RECRUITS REQUIRED Although it has improved, the recruiting position for the brigade force of 4077 all ranks being raised in New Zealand for ultimate despatch to Japan is still fairly uncertain. The Northern Military District, with a quota of 1600, has about 1700 volunteers who have been medically graded as fit. However, only 1500 of these are single men. Moreover, of the 4077 officers and men required from all parts of New Zealand for the complete force, only 2384 have so far been mobiuseu. —■ shortage of about 1700 is partly accounted for by early delays in preparing enough men for mobilisation and partly by a distinct shortage of eligible officers. However, both the Central and Southern Military Districts show no signs yet of reaching their quotas of single men, about 1200 in each case, and if their position does not improve it is likely that the Northern District—as it frequently had to during the war —will be called upon to increase its number.

Thus, unless married men other than specialists are to be included in the mobilisation, it is obvious that more enlistments from single men are still required. These are continuing daily in small numbers, and a quickening in the rate is needed if the force is to be brought to strength in time for all rriembers to receive approximately equivalent training before they embark. No date has yet been announced for the departure of the force, although it is generally considered that it can count upon about three months in camp in New Zealand. If this is so, the men have little time enough in which to.be equipped for their occupational duties, and delays in bringing the force to establishment must react upon its efficiency at the date of embarkation.