EIGHTEENTH DRAFT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16268, 29 June 1916, Page 8

EIGHTEENTH DRAFT.

QUOTA OVER STRENGTH.

MEN DECLINE TO WAIT.

INCIDENT IN CHRISTCHURCH.

(BY TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASS< CIATION.I CriRiSTrnuRCH, Wednesday. On the Christcliurch draft for the eighteenth reinforcements assembling to-night, 41 men were requested to withdraw and go forward with the nineteenth reinforcements. Colonel Chaffey, officer commanding tho district, intimated that in consequence of all the men notified having paraded, the draft was over strength, • and he would ask 41 to volunteer to stay behind. Cries of No, no!" and hoots was the response from the men. Colonel Chaffey: If there are no volunteers, I shall have to call out the names of those who came in last, and they will have to go out. There were more cries of "No, no!" and entreaties not to be left behind. Colonel Chaffey: Well, boys; I cannot draft you out here. You will all go to Lyttelton, and you will have to be drafted out there. Voices: We are all going. On arrival of the draft at Lyttelton it was found that there was accommodation on the steamer for all of the men, and the local authorities decided to send them on and let the surplus number be dealt with by headquarters in Wellington in the morning. FULL STRENGTH REPORTED. PREVIOUS SHORTAGES MADE UP. [BY (TELEGRAPH.PRESS ASSOCIATION.] Wellington, Wednesday. The Defence headquarters announce that the eighteenth reinforcements are going into camp at full strength, and that all previous shortages have been made up, leaving an excess over the quotas required from the majority of the districts. Infantry was most required, and the recruiting for that branch has been very satisfactory. RECRUITS FROM No. 2 GROUP. AN ADDITIONAL LIST. (BY TELEGRAPH.OWN CORRESPONDENT. Paeroa, Wednesday. The following is an additional list of men enlisted in the infantry in No. 2 area group:—J. Barugh, A. H. C'onnell, Matamata; A. Brunt, C. Crosswell, Opotiki; Thomas Flemniir"-. Norman Howie, Manawaru; J. R. Lack, Thames.

THE AUCKLAND SECTION.

SMALL SHORTAGE REPORTED.

The eighteenth draft of reinforcements for j the New Zealand Expeditionary Force left the Auckland district on Tuesday 25 short of the required quota. The total number of those who left was 27 non-commissioned officers and 543 of other ranks. The details of the shortages are, two infantry non-commissioned officers, two mounted rifles, one engineer and 20 infantry. The men necessary to bring the quota up to full strength will be despatched to camp on receipt of a request from headquarters. Tuesday's shortage was duo to defections on the day of departure. Extra men are held in reserve to fill city vacancies, but it is not possible to make absolute provision for those in the country. Although No. 4, Hamilton, group reported a shortage of 20, the area really had a surplus of nine, for 29 men belonging to No. 4 group, who had enrolled in the city, were despatched from "No. 1 area, for a similar reason five men for each of the other country groups, Paeroa and Whangarei, were sent away with the city draft.