BRITISH ARMY REDUCED BY 300,000 MEN

Grey River Argus, 24 February 1949, Page 5

BRITISH ARMY REDUCED BY 300,000 MEN

LONDON, February 22. The Secretary for War, Mr Emanuel Shinwell, in a memorandum submitted with the Army Estimates for 1949-50, announces a reduction m Army strength from 850,000 oiliceis and other ranks to 550,000. Mr Shniwell said the British garrisons in Europe, including the United Kingdom, will drop from 420,300 to 337 100 and outside Europe from 114,100 to 792,000. Mr Shinwell’s announcement arose out of the White Paper on the Service Estimates published on February 15 This showed that the Army would spend £304,700,000 in the incoming financial year, compared with £305,000,000 in 1948. Mr Shinwell said that even with the extension of national service to 18 months the Army was stretched to the limit to carry out its essential tasks. He said there was still a great need for volunteers to fill the laigc gap in the regular establishments caused by the virtual stopping oi. xeeular recruitment during the war. The shortage of experienced men and specialists was noticeable in the technical branch, which, however, as a result of the measures taken during last year, had obtained 200 per cent, more recruits than during 1947. Mr Shinwell added that long-term research by the Ministry of Supply would make it possible to produce weapons and equipment much in advance of the existing types. For the past three years the Army had been equipped and maintained largely from war-time stocks, but as these deteriorated, further expenditure on new equipment and vehicles would have to be stepped up sharply. ' The general standard of the Army accommodation was still far from satisfactory, and there were building programmes for home find overseas.