THE HOME GUARD

New Zealand Herald, Volume 79, Issue 24209, 26 February 1942, Page 8

THE HOME GUARD

MORE MEN NEEDED MAKING OF WEAPONS WIDER SUPPORT URGED Energetic steps are being taken by the officer commanding the Hamilton Home Guard, Major T. H. Melrose, in the organisation of a campaign he recently announced to gain public and State support for the strengthening of the Guard throughout New Zealand. He said during a visit to Auckland yesterday that already his battalion had received 50 new enrolments since he drew attention to the need for them, at a parade in Hamilton last Sunday. He had also received offers of help from numbers of people in official and positions, including a gift of ±-IUUU from Mr. P. 0. Bonham, of Hamilton. The visit of Major Melrose to Auckland was partly to examine a trench mortar made by a member of the one-1 hunga Home Guard, Mr. R. Mackrell. He was accompanied to Auckland by a Hamilton engineer and as a resii't of the latter's satisfaction that the mortar can be manufactured in large numbers, he is determined to have them made in Hamilton. A Women's Section Included among Major Melrose's plans is the formation of a women s section of the Home Guard. Women would be suitable for such duties as first-aid treatment of wounded, and for signalling, transport driving and cooking. He had often in the past received offers of assistance from women and was convinced that the country's need was such that every available fighting man should be released for fighting. Major Melrose said he was determined, without regard for any official disapproval of his actions, to awake the people to the need for a realistic attitude toward their country's defence and to spur them into helping in every possible way.' It was time, he urged, for a belligerent attitude to succeed a passively defensive one. Money and Personnel Instead of absorbing large numbers of men into services charged with saving buildings from destruction, the authorities should use them firstly for saving the country from invasion. Instead of a Home Guard with a nominal roll of 100,000, there should be one with an active roll of 500,000. A national outlook should take the place of a local one. What did it matter if some buildings were destroyed, or even if a whole town were bombed, if the country were saved ? Money, time and energy on the part of everybody were needed. So far as his district was concerned, he was confident he could get the money to make the weapons he meant to have manufactured. He believed that if a man had made £IOO,OOO through his efforts in New Zealand he should be prepared to give £IO,OOO toward saving the country and also toward saving the remaining £90,000. Time and energy on the part of everybody should be given just as freely. Call for Leadership Major Melrose said he wished to make it clear that he was not criticising the members of the E.P.S. or the functions of that organisation. He did, however, believe that many of the members could give greater national service by joining the Home Guard. Major Melrose stated he had received a letter from the Mayor of Hamilton, Mr. H. D. Caro, in which he promised 100 per cent support in everything he might be able to do to arouse the public to the need fog helping to defend the Dominion. Red tape and regulations, said Mr. Caro, were holding the people in bondage. Inspired leadership was the urgent necessity. ALLOCATION OF MEN NEEDS OF TWO SERVICES His attitude to the allocation of manpower between the Home Guard and the Emergency Precautions Service was defined by the Mayor and Chief Warden, Mr." J. A. C. Allum, yesterday in referring to the "previous night's conference, at which it had been decided to make representations to the Government for a better distribution of manpower between the organisations. There was no question, said Mr. Allum, that if the armed forces required men for defence, such a requirement must have precedence over every other. No reasonable person would say that able-bodied men should be retained for civil defence if the armed forces wanted them. The Home Guard was a branch of the armed forces, and he as a civilian was in no position to estimate its requirements in the way of manpower; only the military authorities and the Government could do that. He was quite certain that all the Auckland local bodies appreciated the work of the Home Guard and would do everything in their power to assist it. However, it must be recognised that no country could have all its men in the armed forces. Those who remained could rightly be called upon t-o bear their share in civil defence. HELMETS FOR GUARDSMEN OFFER; MADE BY CITIZEN An offer to present 1000 steel helmets to the city battalions of the Home Guard has been made by Mr. H. J. Butcher, who is attached to the Auckland central headquarters of the Emergency Precautions Service and who has been largely responsible for organising the local manufacture of helmets for E.P.S. personnel from materials available in the city. In making his offer to the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones, Mr. Butcher has stipulated that the gift shall carry the same Government subsidy, £2 for £l, that is being paid on the general expenditure of the E.P.S.