443 Of 768 Recruits For RNZ Navy Rejected

Northern Advocate, 20 July 1949, Page 2

443 Of 768 Recruits For RNZ Navy Rejected

WELLINGTON, Week (Sp.),—Of' 768 male recruits medically examined for the Royal New Zealand Navy, 443 were rejected,on the following grounds: Medically unfit, 107 : dentally'unfit, 88; educationally unfit, 177; other reasons, 124. This is stated in the annual report of the Navy Board, presented to the House of Representatives yesterday. The total number of officers, ratings and Wrens at March 31 is shown as 2268, compared with 1657 a year ago. There are now 80 Wrens in the service.

Recruiting for the Naval volunteer reserves was satisfactory, and a good type of volunteer came forward. Tire strength of the four divisions on March 30 was 59 officers and 329 ratings.

There were 239 officers in the Royal New Zealand Naval Supplementary Reserve, and 72 men and women in the Naval Emergency Reserve. The response for the latter organisation was disappointing in view of the large,number of discharged naval ratings eligible to join. The Royal New Zealand Naval headquarters in London have been renamed HMNZS Maori at the request of the Admiralty, as the existing name. HMNZS Cook, caused confusion with the Royal Navy surveying ship of the same name.

Recruits for the regular Army during the year ended May 31 totalled 904, including 183 cadets and 109 women, according to the annual report of the Chief of the General Stall (Major-General K, L. Stewart). This intake has been offset in part by retirements and discharges, leaving the strength at April 30 at 2568 all ranks, compared with 2027 on June 1. 1948. The establishment was fixed during the year at 3747. The first intake of regular force cadets totalled 92. -who commenced training last July, and a further 93 entered camp in January. An important development was the Government's decision to bear the total cost of maintaining cadets at the Royal Military College of Australia stales the report. Formerly part of of the cost fell on parents. Ail cadets tiow entered the college on an equal financial footing. Following t!ic granting of permission for the formation of new rifle clubs last year. 80 had been gazetted during the year. Many of the older clubs had become inactive during the war, and tailing a minimum membership of 20. were being disbanded. There were now 160 clubs with an overall membership of 5400. Twenty-one soldiers who deserted overseas, and 37 wfio deserted in New Zealand during the war. had not yet been apprehended, and warrants for arrest had been issued.