ARMY RECRUITS

New Zealand Herald, Volume 78, Issue 24085, 2 October 1941, Page 8

ARMY RECRUITS

MOBILISATION CHANG? THE MANPOWER POSITION STILL ENOUGH SINGLE MEN The present practice of mobili s ; n ' reinforcements for Territorial For<J 1 units at the beginning of every nicntb will be discontinued after the next draft - of men is sent to camp on November \ There will be no mobilisation on Dero» ber 1, but at the beginning of January a new system will be introduced of sending Territorial Force recruits to camp in quarterly drafts, each draft carrying out three months' intensive training and thereafter being oblige to do two months' camp training and 60 hours out-of-camp training \ear. Jhe change will carry into effect a recent decision to mobilise permanent cadres for the larger units and to alter the general training system. A draft of Auckland area men left yesterday for Ngaruawahia camp tg begin three months' intensive trainin» for infantry units. The draft to hi mobilised on November 1 will probably be for artillery units. Another Ballot There are as yet no men available for the November draft. The mobilis. ation yesterday exhausted the Auek. land area's supply of available recruits for the Territorial Force. This means that the area has no men left on its pool roll who are cither fit for service in any part of the world, but are outride the age limits of the Exped;. nonary I'orce. or who have been graded (it for home defence only. There, are oi course, many men who fall into both categories but who are not available at the present time. There are also a number of men receiving or due to receive remedial treatment to make them fit for service, and there is yet another group who are fit only for camn duties. No general call has yet been made upon this last class. The November mobilisation wi;| therefore have to be effected for the most part from men who are drawn in next week's Territorial Force ballot. It seems probable that the Armv will not be able to give the-e men much notice of their mobilisation, since the medical examinations will take some time after the Ca/.ette is published on October 8. Married Men Class So far as the Expeditionary Force i; concerned, the question in most minds is when the-first married men's ballot is to be held. Although the formation of an Army Tank Brigade has imposed a sudden extra strain on the area's available overseas manpower—which excludes all single men whose service has been postponed by the Armed Forces Appeal Board —it seems likely that even after the mobilisation of the brigade has been completed there will be left sufficient men for the next ordinary Expeditionary Force call. Early this year it was suggested from "Wellington that the first married men's ballot would be held toward the end of the year. Later, October began to be popularly chosen as the month for tbe ballot. However, it now seems probable that the first of the married men will not be called upon until the beginning of next year. From time to time it has been stated that before a start is made with the mobilisation of married men all single men who have been granted postponement of service would have their cases reviewed. No announcement has so far been made when this scrutiny is to begin.