ORGANISING A COMPANY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 11 January 1940, Page 6

ORGANISING A COMPANY

FOR SERVICE OVERSEAS RAILWAY SURVEY, CONSTRUCTION AND MAINTENANCE MINISTER’S AF’PEAL FOR RECRUITS [United Press Association] WELLINGTON, This Day. Posted on all public works jobs throughout New Zealand is an appeal by the Hon. R. Semple for recruits for a New Zealand railway survey, construction and maintenance company for service overseas. The Minister says that the military authorities have called upon the Public Works Department to organise a company which will comprise approximately 400 men. It will be necesary for the accepted applicants to enter camp about the first week in February and leave for service overseas after a short period of training. The company will be officered by engineers of the Public Works Department. “In the last war the New Zealand Tunnelling Corps made a name for itself,” adds the Minister. ‘The men of the Public Works Department have demonstrated to the world in recent years that their ability to woA at their calling in the constructional field is equal to that of. men in any other country. I am convinced that we can organise a company in the Public Works Department that will put up a record unprecedented in the past struggle. I appeal to officers and workmen capable, competent and healthy enough to undertake this job in defence of the Empire, the liberty of our people and the protection and preservation of our form of government, which is at stake and is the freest in the world, to volunteer their services.” CONDITIONS OF ENLISTMENT The general conditions of enlistment and service in the railway company will be the same as those of other units in the Second Expeditionary Force. Preference will be given to single men between the ages of 21 and 35 years, but where these are not available married men with two children will be accepted. Sixteen commissioned officers including a medical officer are required and approximately 371 other ranks, including non-commissioned officers. FORESTRY UNIT RECRUITMENT IN HANDS OF STATE SERVICE MATTER SPECIALLY URGENT WELLINGTON, This Day. The Commissioner of State Forests, the Hon. F. Langstone, states that the Government has accepted an invitation from the War Office for the despatch overseas of a forestry unit for logging and sawmilling. Recruitment is placed in the hands of the State Forest Service and Conservators at Auckland, Rotorua, Palmerston North, Nelson, Hokitika, Christchurch and Invercargill will handle the enlistments as a preliminary to the selection of the company which will be , he hoped, truly representative of every district in New Zealand. The matter was specially urgent as selected recruits would be called up early in February and immediate registration therefore was desirable. He was indebted to the federated sawmillers’ association and the president of the Timber Workers’ Union for support in making the appeal. DETAIL OF COMPANY Details of the company are six commissioned officers, 38 non-commissioned and 147 other ranks. There would be preference to single men between 21 and 35 who are physically fit for service in any part of the world, but married men with not more than two children may be accepted. There were vacancies for all classes of workers, viz.: bush-fellers, trackcutters, tramway hands, millwrights, sawyers, engineers, log measurers, tractor and lorry drivers and general logging and sawmill hands. Applicants are asked to state their present occupation and one in which they are most skilled, e.g. tractor drivers should state whether they had diesel as well as petrol experience, and engineers their special qualifications etc.