Home Guard To Be Civil Army

Northern Advocate, 27 August 1940, Page 7

Home Guard To Be Civil Army

I Special to ‘'Northern Advocate ”l AUCKLAND. This Day. The Minister for National Service (Mr Semple) yesterday .afternoon explained proposals for the establishment of the- Home Guard to representatives of local bodies. Mr Semple said it would be the duty of local bodies to create sections of the Home Guard. This was .an organisation which would contribute its quota to the life and blood struggle in which the Empire was engaged. Democratic Movement. It was to be a democratic movement and there was to be no class distinction. Mr Semple said he had been given an opportunity of looking into the Emergency Precautions Scheme in Auckland, and he had found that the whole city was well planned and all that sincere and willing men could do had been done. These plans would be helpful when the Home Guard was in action. The scheme worked out in Auckland. as with the fine scheme developed in Hamilton, would well be copied by other towns in New Zealand, he said. Co-operate With Army. The national organiser of the Home Guard (Mr R. Sinel) gave other details on the scheme. He said it would be built on lines parallel to the army organisation. It would, in fact, be a civil army that would be given training in null activities that it would be able to co-operate with the army if called upon. Mr Semple said the emergency precautions scheme organisation would not be subordinate to the Home Guard. Both would have a definite job to do. The Home Guard would be the fighting section of the organisation, and could be called into action by Order in Council. Entirely Voluntary, Mr Sinel said that service would be entirely voluntary and there would be no pay for parades. Further, a member would sign an undertaking that he would be responsible for any disability that he might suffer. A committee was set up lo formulate a suitable organisation for the area.