Training Battalion Formed To Reinforce N.Z.E.F.

Northern Advocate, 30 April 1940, Page 6

Training Battalion Formed To Reinforce N.Z.E.F.

[Special to “Northern Advocate.”] AUCKLAND, This Day. The formation of a training battalion for reinforcements of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force was announced today by the officer commanding the Northern Military District (Colonel Weir). It was pointed out that the division would comprise three echelons, two of which had been mobilised, and that when the training of the third was completed the only men to be trained would be reinforcements,. as opposed to definite units comprising portion of an echelon. Artillery or Infantry. Colonel Weir stated that troops for reinforcements on entering camp would be posted to a training battalion or a training regiment, according to whether they desired to serve in the infantry or artillery. As certain portions of training were common to all arms of the service, training in general would be supervised in camps by an officer who would be termed “staff officer training” assisted by a specialist staff. The officer commanding the battalion would be Major G. J. C. Wales, M.C., and the staff officer training was Major W. Murphy.