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Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXIII, 9 December 1940, Page 4

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TERRITORIALS IN CAMP TRAINING PROGRAMME REARRANGED [United Press Association] WELLINGTON, This Day. A rearrangement of the training programme to enable territorial* now in camp to be returned to their homes before Christmaa was announced last night by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. As mentioned in a previous Press statement, the units affected were called up for three months’ training from Ist October, and it was intended that they should remain in camp till 28th December. Mr Jones said that the Government had given further consideration to the question of dispersing the units of the territorial force now undergoing training in various camps throughout the Dominion before Christmas. It had been decided after careful investigation to rearrange the training programme to enable battalion and brigade exercises to be completed and the men returned to their homes before Christmas. With this end in view it had now been decided to speed up the final stages of the advanced field manoeuvres, and this training would finish on 21st December. is a great deal of cleaning up, checking and handing into store of camp and training equipment which has been in use for three months and which must be left in good order and condition for the use of other units* whi?h wil 1 enter camp early in January, and this will take the best part of two days to complete,” said Mr Jones. "By arranging for men who have the farthest to travel to leave camp on the night of 22nd December or early on 23rd December, and those who live closer to follow later in the day on 23rd December, nearly all men will reach their homes that night, and all will be home for Christmas.”