NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17066, 26 July 1917, Page 2

NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS

PRESENT SYSTEM OF SELECTION. UfuoM Oob Own CoaaBdPONDENT.) July 25. Sir James Alien stated to-day tuat the present system of selecting i\.<j.o.'s in tho training camps was as ioilows: — Dunng the iourtn week oi training, any man ox the draft may apply to be transfer-red to the N.UO. class. Selections to hu the ono hunded vacancies are then made irom applicants by a board consisting oi five officers from the Camp Trainuig atari' and two officers from the Administration Stan;. The selected applicants are then transferred'* to the training class for a three months' .course before be.ng posted to a dralt as N.C.O.'s m charge oi men. Any men tound unsuitable during the course of preliminary training are returned to the ranks, 'ihe officers commanding companies have no say in the selection oi N.C.O.'s for the preliminary training class, nor is an examination cons.dered advisable N.C.O.'s are promoted from a lower N.C.O. s rank to a higher N. 0.0. rank on the recommendation oi officers commandinocompanies. This is part of the duty of every officer commanding a company throughout the British Army. It is not considered advisable to alter the present system. Every officer commanding a company is most care£r™> matter of the selection of his N.UO. s, as his success in handling his com, pany is dependent on his good judgment in the matter. Tho promotion of NCQ.'s to commissioned rank does not depend entirely on the recommendation of officers commanding compan.es. They make recommendations to a higher authority, but "their recommendations are frequently reversed Practical and written examinations are conducted by the senior officers of the Training Staff, at which all. N.C.O.'s must qualify before being eligible for appointment. The grading of N.C.O.'s in order of priority for vacancies for commissions rests entirely in tho hands of the senior officers of the Train ing Staff.