OVERSEAS FORCES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 12 January 1940, Page 6

OVERSEAS FORCES

REGULATION GAZETTED POWERS FOR G.O.C. DEATH SENTENCE PROVISO Provision for the establishment of the Second Expeditionary Force under the Defence Act, 1909, is contained in the Expeditionary Force Emergency Regulations. 1940, which were issued with last night’s “Gazette.” Members of this force, states the regulations, “shall be enlisted for service within New Zealand and out of New Zealand for the duration of the present war and 12 months thereafter.” The Special Force Emergency Regulations, 1939, are evoked and the Special Force will cease to be known as such and will be deemed to be part of the Expeditionary Force. The regulations make the necessary provision for the appointment of a general officer to command the force out of New Zealand with the full powers which are generally given to such commanding officers in the way of appointments and promotions, and so forth. Powers regarding appointments, promotions and discharges are also conferred on the Adjutant-Geenral of the New Zealand Defence Forces or officers to whom he may delegate his powers. ACTIVE SERVICE DEFINITIONS One clause states that no officer of the Expeditionary Force shall be competent, without the consent of the Gov-ernor-General,* to resign his commission or appointment in time of war or at any time within %2 months from the conclusion of peace. Members of the Expeditionary Force while serving in New Zealand will be subject to the provisions of the Defence Act, 1909, and all members of the Expeditionary Force, so long as a state of war exists, will be deemed to be on active service within the meaning of the Army Act: (a) At all times while out of New Zealand, (b) at all times in New Zealand in the interval between the publication of the Military Order posting men for active service and their actual departure from the Dominion* The Army Act, so far as it relates to offences and trial and punishment of persons subject to military law, shall apply to members of the Expeditionary Force while out of New Zealand, “provided’that no sentence of death imposed by Court Martial upon any member of the Expeditionary Force shall be carried into effect without the concurrence of the Governor-General.” PAY STIPULATIONS Dealing with the question of pay, the regulations stipulate that there may be deducted from the pay of members of the Expeditionary Force from time to time sums the Minister thinks necessary for the support of anyone who, in the Minister’s opinion, is wholly or partly dependent upon or has a claim for maintenance against the member concerned.