THE CITIZEN ARMY.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1808, 5 May 1921, Page 7

THE CITIZEN ARMY.

NEW ORGANISATION. OX DIVISIONAL BASIS. The now organisation of New Zealand's Citizen Army (the Territorial Force) was announced on Tuesday. The outstanding feature is that it furnishes one complete Division throughout the Dominion, which, in case of mobilisation, will be capable of duplicating itself. In other words,, the new Territorial Force will be v to all intents and purposes a replica of the New Zealand Division which fought in France and Flanders during the Great War, and .Mounted Rifle Regiments which fought in Palestine will also be represented. The new scheme, of course, involves drastic, alterations, and under it many of the existing units will disappear.

FEWER MOUNTED RIFLE AND INFANTRY REGIMENTS.

The units under the new scheme will all carry N.Z.E.F. designations, and so will possess N.Z.E.F. history and traditions.

The existing 12 mounted rifle regimeuts will be reduced to 9, forming one mounted brigade under each command, while the 17 infantry regiments will come down to 12, forming one inunder each command. The mobile field artillery, on the other hand, has been substantially increased. The number of field batteries have been advanced from 9 to 12, making a four-battery brigade in each command, each brigade consisting of 3 IS-poundcr batteries and 1 4.sin' howitzer battery. There will be 4 heavy mobile batteries, 3 of which are Gin howitzer batteries ' and 1 60-pbunder battery. There will also be 2 mountain batteries and 2 garrison artillery companies.

SIX GARRISON ARTILLERY COM-

PANIES DROPPED

It will be observed that while field artillery has been increased, the garrison artillery companies have been materially reduced. Under the old scheme there were S garrison artillery companies in New Zealand, and now there will only be 2, one of these being at Auckland and the other at Wellington. In the South Island ports the garrison artillery are thus' to disappear altogether. In substitution there will bo the Gin howitzer batteries. Apparently in this the Defence authorities are adopting the lessons of the war, preferring other means than solely relying on fixed defences for the protection of our harbours. In the distribution of the various units under the new scheme, most of the specialists are to be concentrated in the cities. On mobilisation quite a number of small units will be required to be furnished by the Engineers, A.S.C., Medical Corps, and Signallers, and it is considered that these can be better trained and supplied tffom central depots such as are now provided for. THE THREE COMMANDS. The strength of the three commands in "other ranks" under the rcorganisation scheme will be as follows: Northern Command, 7125; Central Command, 7575; Southern Command, 7675. The units under the Central Command, with their new headquarters, will be as follows: — Mounted Rifles: .2nd West Coast Rgt. M.R., Hawora; 6th Manawatu Rgt. M.R., Palmerston North; 7th Wellington (East Coast) Rgt. M.R., Dannevirke. Field Artillery: H.Q. 2nd F.A. Bde., Palmerston North; sth Bat. F.A., Wellington- 6th Bat. F.A., Napier; 7th Bat. F.A., Palmerston North (not to be formed pending further instructions; Sth Bat. (how.), Palmerston North. Garrison Artillery: No. 2 Coy. G.A. (Coast Defence), Wellington; 2nd Heavy Bat. (GO-pdr.), Petone; ' 3rd Heavy Bat. (how.), Wellington. Field Engineers: Central Field Engineers' Depot, Wellington (to be organised as I Double Field Coy., plus 1 Field Troop). Infantry: Ist Battn. Wn. Rgt., Wellington; 2nd Battn. Wn. Rgt., Wanganui; 3rd Battn. Wn. Rgt., Wanganui (to be formed by amalgamation of 9th and 17th Rgts.); 4th Battn. Wn. Rgt,, Hawora. Signallers: Central Depot N.Z. Corps, signals, Wellington (to' be organised as one divisional signal company, plus one signal troop), plus unit signallers). A.S.C.: Central A.S.C. Depot, Wellington (to be organised as one company divisional train). Medical Corps: Central Depot, N.Z. Medical Corps, Wellington (to be organised as one field ambulance, plus one section cavalry field ambulance, plus one casualty clearing station).