MILITARY TRAINING

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVII, Issue 231, 30 August 1937, Page 2

MILITARY TRAINING

HIGHER STANDARD SOUGHT. OFFICERS GOING ABROAD. Per Pi •css Association. DUNEDIN, Aug. 30. As part of the Government's policy of sending • officers abroad lor military education which cannot be provided m New Zealand it lias been decided to ml the vacancies onered to New Zealand'at tiro imperial Defence College, London, the Staff- College, Camerlev, England, and the Staff College, Quetta, India, said Hon. F. Jones to-day. The officers selected to attend these colleges are:— . . Imperial Defence College.—Lieut.Colonel (temporary colonel) R. Miles, D. 5.0., M.C. ' ■ ■ Staff College, Camberley.—Captain W. G. Gentry, N.Z.S.C. Staff College, Quetta, India. Cap-' tain C. S. J. Duff, R.N.Z.A. Colonel -Miles graduated from the Royal Military College of Australia in 1914 and served with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force from IJI4 to 1919. He attended the Camberley Staff College during 1924 and 1925; then had a period of general training in England, returning to New Zealand in September, 1926. Latterly lie lias held an appointment of general staff officer of the Northern Command which he relinquished in March, •1937, to assume command temporarily of the Northern Command with the rank of temporary colonel. Captain W. G. Gentry graduated from the Royal Military College of Australia in 1919 and served for two years in India participating in quelling the Moplah rebellion and he niso; had active service at Waziristan. He passed the entrance examination to the Staff College in 1932 and 1933 and in 1934 he attended an eng.necring j course at Chatham. Flo has siiue held an appointment at General Headquar T ters, Wellington. Captain C. S. J. Duff graduated from the Royal Military College, Australia, in 1920. He attended a gunnery staff course in England in 1933-34 and he passed the entrance examination to tne Staff College in 1933. Mr Jones said the main object of the Imperial Defence • College was to train officers and civilian officials in the broadest aspects of strategy as affecting ’the general defence of the Common wealth. The collego is attended by senior naval, military, and Air Force officers and selected civil servants. Vacancies are allotted for similar representatives from self-governing Dominions. The course lasts one year and provides a valuable means ot inculcating the common doctrine in the strategical sphere throughout the three fighting services and the Civil Service. The two army staff colleges provide a thorough military education such as is required by the commanders and staff officers, particularly in view of the complicated machinery of which the army now consists. It is desirable in future, concluded the Minister, that all officers should hold higher appointments in the New Zealand army and should have graduated at one or other of these colleges.