MEN FOR THE FRONT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15822, 20 January 1915, Page 8

MEN FOR THE FRONT.

RECRUITING IN AUCKLAND.

SATISFACTORY PROGRESS

"STILL MORE MEN''

The idea seems to have pained ground i" Auckland recently that the Defence Department is experiencing some difficulty in making up the number of recruits needed for reinforcement* for the men at the front. This rumour is denied at headquarters. It is stated that there has been no trouble at all in making up the numbers required from time to tin*?, despite the fact that there is a big deficiency between the number of men who hand in their names and those who actually proceed to Trentham.

During the holidays recruiting proceeded apace. Quite, a number of men of a splendid type from the country came to Auckland, spent all their money in holiday-making, and th«*n volunteered for service. The Patriotic League did excellent work here in assisting the Defence Department by looking after these men until they were due to leave for the base camp at Trentham.

The- fourth reinforcement draft has nowbeen completed, and names are being taken for the fifth, about 200 men being required. They will proceed to Trentham about the middle of February.

" Still more men " will be the cry in Xew Zealand for months to come, and Colonel Hume wishes to emphasise the fact that the Defence Department will be glad to receive names of men wfio are willing to servo later on. The group officer will receive these names, with the dates upon which service will be available, and then, as time goes on, the men will be notified to proceed to Trentham.

A further 58 men were declared fit by the medical officer yesterday, while seven were rejected, sis of them for defective teeth, and one for" defective eyesight- Further recruits have been enrolled, with the result that there are about 40 men ready to be. examined medicallv to-dav.

Several officers for the fifth reinforcement draft have already left Auckland. They include Captain A. E. Wilkinson, Lieutenant R. G. Milligan. Second Lieutenant M. R. Reed, all for the mounted rifles; and Major J. S. Murphy, Lieutenant J. D. McComish. Second Lieutenants 0. S. Ellis, J. F. K. Hunter. L. E. Ashton, F. J. Ellisdon, and A. I). Jack, for the infantry.