Plans For Training Peace -Time Forces

Northern Advocate, 16 July 1949, Page 4

Plans For Training Peace -Time Forces

COMPULSORY TRAINING . . .

WELLINGTON. Sat. (Sp.).—“The function of the Army in peace-time is to prepare against the unwelcome possibility of war. “This preparation covers a wide and diversified field, from the training of the private soldier to take his place in his unit (whether as a rifleman, a gunner, a driver, a wireless operator or another of the numerous Army specialists) and to the establishment and maintenance of an efficient headquarters organisation.”

This statement on the peace-time system of compulsory military training was presented to the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) by the Chief of the General Staff (Major-General K. L. Stewart, C. 8., C.8.E., D. 5.0.) and has been made available to the press by the Minister.

to expect them to make such a sacrifice again. “I conclude therefore, that it Is of paramount importance that we should find the most suitable men to take their places, while the ‘old hands’ are still available to pass on their knowledge and experience.

Readiness

The duties of the headquarters organisation included close cooperation with the naval staff and the air staff in the careful study of possible courses of action of potential aggressors, and of the measures necessary to defeat any aggression, the statement continued.

“It is concerned not only with the local defence of New Zealand, but also with the contribution to be made towards the defence of the British Commonwealth after a meticulous examination of these problems and of information received from the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries.

“The function of the Chief of the General Staff is to advise the Government on the size, composition and organisation of the land force which, it is considered, should be trained in New Zealand in time of peace. “It will be evident that details of possible action in war, both by our own and by any potential enemy’s forces, cannot be published, but there are two fundamental facts I strongly recommend be made known:

“(1) The defence of New Zealand is inextricably bound up with the defence of the British Commonwealth. As in the past, the fate of New Zealand in any future conflict will be decided in an overseas theatre of war, and not in New Zealand. “(2) In any future war there will not be time to call up. organise and train forces after hostilities commence. Any aggression against the Commonwealth will be sudden and swift.

Only Way

“From the first of tjiese fundamental facts it follows that the military system in New Zealand should be so designed that, in time of crisis, it can not only provide for the local defence of the country, but can also contribute effective assistance in accordance with the board Commonwealth and allied strategic plan. “Action to this effect is being taken accordingly. “Regarding the second factor, there is do doubt that only by means of a system of compulsory military training in peace-time can military forces be made ready and fit to fight in a short time after the outbreak of war. “I would invite your attention to the fact that in the 1939-45 conflict, following a pre-war system of voluntary training, if was some 18 months after war had been declared before the New Zealand Division could be regarded as fit for active operations.

“If a New Zealand division is to play its part In a future war, especially in the very critical early stages, that period of 18 months will have to be greatly reduced. “It may well be necessary to reduce it to three cr four months.

“The division can be ready in this time only if a system of compulsory training is introduced in peace-time, l ean see no alternative.

Casualties

“It has been proven many times in two world wars that it is the untrained units and formations that incur the heaviest casualties in battle. “This has been established in all nations. The only way to give the fighting men the chance they deserve is to have them trained before the war begins—that is by compulsory training in peace-time. “New Zealand soldiers, both pakeha and Maori, are among the finest in the world and they therefore deserve the best leaders. It is evident that those leaders can only be found if the widest fields of our national life are explored. “I suggest that it is essential to find and train those who are the natural leaders from all sections of the community and, since for various reasons these will not necessarily be among the volunteers, they can only be found if the whole of the fine youth of this country passes through the selective processes of the army.

“In the Second World War, the New Zealand Division had first-class commanders and leaders. Many of those men are back with the Territorial Force today but for several reasons, including age and health, many of them would not be able to fight in another war. There may be even a doubt as to whether it would be fair

Proposals

“The Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence have already made public the general outlines of the proposed training scheme and I suggest that the following military details might be given in support: “The initial period of 14 weeks’ training will be carried out at the established camps of Papakura, Linton and Burnham. The accommodation and other amenities at Papakura and Burnham are excellent and those at Linton are to be improved as rapidly as possible. “All instruction will be given by regular force pei-sonnel. The first six weeks will be devoted to what the army calls individual training, i.e., training which every soldier should have. “There will be a certain amount of drill, which is unavoidable in any service, but the recruit will spend the majority of his time in more interesting work, especially in the latter half of the individual training period. “The next eight weeks will be devoted to teaching the recruit his role in the unit to which he will eventually be posted, teaching him in other words to take his place in the team. “This is technically known as ‘corps training.’ The modern army is such a complex machine that there is no time (nor is it necessary) to spend hours on ‘forming fours,’ or threes as it is these days, or ceremonial drill. “The recruit has to learn to operate and maintain his weapons and other equipment and to look after himself in the field, both by day and by night—in short, to become a thoroughly efficient and trained individual soldier.

Equipment

“In the last weeks of the corps training period he will be given an insight into collective training, during which he will take his place in a rifle company or a battery or an equivalent sub-unit in another corps.

“On completing his 14 weeks' initial training, the soldier—he should no longer be a ‘recruit’—will be posted to a Territorial Force unit, in which he will be required to serve for three years.

“In his unit he will be commanded and trained by Territorial officers and n.c.o.s, with, of course, some assistance from a small regular staff. “He will' he required to attend a unit camp of 14 days and to do six days’ out-of-camp training in each year.

The six days’ out-of-camp training will be chiefly week-end exercises. “The army is anxious to avoid evening drills, which were never popular. Wherever practicable, however, facilities will be provided for officers and n.c.o.s to improve their knowledge and for the enthusiastic specialist to have access, for training purposes, to wireless sets, tanks and other equipment and weapons whenever he wishes.

“It is in the territorial force unit that the soldier will complete his training as a member of a team and will learn how an army functions in the field.

“Adequate stocks of army equipment are available in New Zealand for the training of the Territorial Force, although a certain amount of it has been superseded by more modern types in the British Army.

Procedure

“What is now held bem-s a close similarity to the later models. “When this has been supplemented by a proportion of tanks, guns and instruments of the most up-to-date design which will be obtained from overseas, there can be no question that our equipment will be completely satisfactory for teaching the techniques of modern warfare.

“Having completed three years’ training with the Territorial Force the soldier will normally be posted to the army reserve for a period of six years. “This, will be the normal procedure but as a number of men will by that time to have become ncos and officers, it is hoped that most of those who have so qualified will volunteer for further service.

“It will be appreciated that it will be four years before the Territorial Force will be up to establishment and that territorials will be posted to the army reserve at the end of the fourth year.

“II will also be appreciated (under the policy adopted in the last war of sending overseas only men 21 years of age and over) that when the Territorial force is up .to establishmen it will always have a number of men under age for active service overseas (men 20 years of age could volunteer to go if their parents or guardians had no objection).

Experience

"If mobilisation for war should be ordered, the under age group will need to be retained for further training and their places in their units will be filled by trained soldiers from the army reserve.

•‘lt will be seen therefore, that although the army reserve is not required to train in peace /officers of the reserve will attend refresher courses), it will form a very important component of the peace-time army.

“In conclusion, and to refute the possible suggestion from any class of persons that the foregoing savours of warmongering, I beg leave to observe that, except for the junior ranks, the officers, both regular and territorial in the army today, have all had firsthand experience of war. •'They know the horrors of the battlefield. the bombing of cities and and all that that entails for the combatant and the non-combatant “They, mere than most people, hope and pray that there will never be another war, but’they know that it is their duty to prepare themselves and the youth of the nation, to defend their people, their country and their commonwealth against aggression by their enemies.'’