FOR COMMISSIONS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIV, Issue 16507, 5 April 1917, Page 8

FOR COMMISSIONS.

SYSTEM AT- THE FRONT.

EXPLANATION BY THE GENERAL. Information regarding appointments to commissions lias been received by * tho Minister for Defenco from General Sir Alexander Godley. It is contained in copies of letters sent by him to officers commanding units for their instruction in nominating candidates for commissions. In his letter to tho Minister, General Godley states: — Wo will soon have built up a sufficient reservo of trained officers for our regiments at tlio front. As soon as this position has been arrived at I will ceaso, at any rate, for a time, to nominate non-commissioned officers for training in Imperial car»i units in England for commissions in mo Now Zealand Force unless you are agreeable to my sending a certain number of these officers to New Zealand to take up reinforcement commissions in addition to the 24 per month already allotted to officers and men from tho front. All these cadet unit nominees are men specially selected for commissions. as they havo not only seen servico at the front, but liavo also had four months' special training in Imperial cadet units for oflicers, and they should mako good officers." Three Methods Described. In addition to promotions to commissioned rank in tho field, nominations aro made monthly for the granting of commissions as follows: —

11 (1) Fivo nominations for temporary commissions in the Imuerial Army for tho period of tho war; (2) six nominations for commissions in the N.Z.E.F. to no given in New Zealand after the arrival of tho nominees there ; (3a) nominations, at present 20 for training in Imperial cadet units in England for commissions in tho N.Z.E.F.; (3b) nominations, at present 3. for training in Imperial schools of in-» st ruction in Egypt for commissions in tho N.Z.E.F." General Godlcy's instructions state that nominees of class 1 are placed in cadet units for further training, or as the War Office may direct. They do not receive their discharge from tho N.Z.E.F. until they are pronounced bv tho War Offico to be qualified to receive commissions, and are then transferred direct to an Imperial unit. Nominees for class 2 aro forwarded to New Zealand by the first, available transport. On arrival in New Zealand they undergo a refresher course, and, if satisfactory, aro subsequently posted to reinforcement units, which they help to train, and with which they return to the front. Nominees of this class, who aro in Franco when nominated, go through a s'hort course of instruction at No. 2 Training School, Etaples, beforo proceeding to England. •- Nominees for Class 3a proceed direct to England, where they aro posted to officer cadet units, and undergo instruction for about four months. If recommended, they are granted commissions in the N.Z.E.F. Nominees for Class 3b are trained in Egypt, and, oil tho satisfactory completion of their course, aro posted 'to units in Egypt. Only experienced non-commissioned officers who have proved themselves capable instructors aro recommended for class 2. No candidate is considered unless he has given service in the field, and is recommended by the officer commanding tho unit in which he served in tho field, or by some senior officer under whom ho has served in tho field.

Position of Returned Men. The supplementary instructions by General Godley state that recommendations are i also_ required monthly for (4) six nominations, made monthly by tho New Zealand Government on the recommendation of the general officer commanding, N.Z.E.F., of non-commissioned officers and men who, having been invalided to New Zealand, are again fit for service at the front; and for (5) twelve nominations monthly of temporarily unfit officers invalided to New Zealand for return to the front as reinforcement officers with reinforcements. Owing to the lengthy periods many of class 4 candidates havo been away from their units, to the many changes that havo occurred in tho personnel of commanding and other officers, and to other causes, so little information has hitherto been obtainable as to tho manner in which they carried out their duties with their units thpt it has been found impossible for the general officer commanding to make any recommendations to the New Zealand Government with regard to the greater number of those whose names have been submitted to him. With a view to obviating this difficulty those responsible' for recommending non-commis-sioned officers for commissions are requested to send in to the general officer commanding recommendations and particulars of those warrant officers, non-commis-sioned officers and men.returned to Now Zealand—other than those sent specially for reinforcement commissions— have done good service and havo the necessary qualifications to make good officers.