THE HOME GUARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23830, 4 December 1940, Page 12

THE HOME GUARD

SUBURBAN MEETINGS MANY ENROLMENTS MADE RIFLE CLUBS* SERVICES Suburban meetings held last night to assist the recruiting campaign for the Home Guard met with good support. The Mayor, Sir .Ernest Davis, was the principal speaker at St. Holiers. | and he explained the need and scope of j the scheme. As at the meetings being j held simultaneously at Kolnmarama j and Orakei, a good nisvr.y enrolment ■ forms were distributed and there were j recruits at all three places. Block com- ; mittees were set up. .Members of the j Women's National Service Corps were j in attendance to assist with the distri- | bution of forms, and justices of the peace were there to witness signatures. An inaugural meeting arranged by the borough council was held at New Lynn, the deputy-mayor. Mr. J. S. ; Akehurst, presiding. There were present representatives of rlie council, the I Ratepayers' Association, the local i branch of the Labour Party, and delegates from Titirangi. a district which is collaborating with New Lynn in Home Guard recruiting. Lieutenant Armitage, intelligence officer at the Auckland Town Hall, is to be asked to address a public meeting next week, when members of the public: will be enrolled. Throughout yesterday numbers of men enrolled at the Town Hall as well as the recruiting depot in front of the Chief Post Office, and numerous inquiries were made by the public. lonight meetings will be held at Ponsonby. Pnrnell and Reinuera, anil tomorrow there is to be a meeting at Epsom. "Arrangeiuenis have been made tor (lie utilisation ot the services ot iiiem- : hers of the d.•fence rifle clubs throughout the province tor the training ol the i Home Guard in rifle shooting, ' said the secretary of the Auckland Rifle ! Association, Mr, .R. C. Russell, last ' night. 1 "The Auckland Rifle Association is ' also making arrangements tor the formiat ion of special sniper platoons attached to the Home which instructors "'ill be drawn. ' he said. I "This action should provide an opportunity for many excellent rifle shots 1 who have not taken an active part in , rifle shooting in recent years to join i the Home Guard and give the benefit lot their knowledge and experience. ! Rifles owned bv members ot rim rifle clubs "ill be used by them in their 1 Home Guard activities/'

AREA APPOINTMENTS FRANKLIN ANO RODNEY Advice has been received by Colonel M. Ald red. district commander of the Home Guard in the Auckland area, of the appointment of sub-area commanders as follows:- Franklin County. Captain E. 0. Rice. M.M.. ot Papakura; Rodney County, Captain P. A. McDowell,, of Warkworth. WAIKATO COUNTY UNIT COMMITTEE APPOINTED [FROM OUR own correspondent] HAMILTON, Tuesday The formation ot the Home Guard i in the Waikato county was discussed at a meeting ot the \\ aikato County Council to-day. Lieutenant-Colonel R. !D. McFnriand. area exi plained the objects of the Home Guard ■ and the regulations governing the , organisation. Colonel McFarland said the Hamilj ton area forces would probably be rej quired to guard the coast line from | the Waikato River mouth to the | Mokau River should an invasion occur, i He asked the council to form a comI rnittee, including representatives of - the Returned Soldiers' Association and trades unions. Jt would be the i business of the committee to nominate ; a unit commander, who in turn would I nominate the locality commanders. , There were 1400 guardsmen in the area 1 already, including 450 in Hamilton. 1 Parades could be held wherever the i members considered were the most con- | venient places. | It was resolved that a committee of ; the Home Guard be formed, consisting of members of the council. _representatives of the Returned Soldiers' Association, trades unions and the Farmers' Union, and that members h c invited to send in nominations for the position of unit commander.