TERRITORIAL ARMY

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23886, 14 August 1939, Page 10

TERRITORIAL ARMY

RECRUITING PROGRESS A SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN VOLUNTEERS STILL REQUIRED "I am delighted to announce," said the Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones), who arrived in Dunedin yesterday, "that the Territorial Army has exceeded the strength of 16,000 which was laid down as the peace establishment, on expansion from the previous strength of 9500. Yet it is barely a month since the Army Recruiting Committee published throughout the press of New Zealand the personal appeal from the Prime Minister (Mr M. J. Savage), and thereby launched an organised campaign. Such results in the time are most gratifying. May I congratulate the teams of willing helpers—the regular staff, the serving territorials, and the public-spirited men and women —who have worked so hard in every district from Kaitaia to Riverton, and have done so well." A Further Appeal The task, however, was riot yet over, the Minister continued. Certain Drovincial regiments, faced with a relatively large expansion, have not yet fully filled their ranks, although they had made good progress, and the numbers still required were not large. Moreover, certain towns which had been allotted regimental quotas had not yet completed their recruiting drives. He felt sure that more good men of the type that had already been enrolled would come forward, particularly at the centres where they were required, and do their duty. There was another reason why recruiting would be continued while volunteers of such excellent type were coming forward. The strength of 16,000 included 700 bandsmen in the various regiments who, while they performed important and' valuable duties and were a great asset to the Territorial Army, could not legitimately b<* counted as fighting troops, although these men were trained in the duties of stretcher bearers. In these troublous times it was essential that the country should have the complete organisation of 16,000 combatant troops, and the Government was, therefore, continuing its enlistment campaign, and would still accept every recruit who could measure up to the high standard now required. Training of Recruits "I cannot stress too often that voluntary recruiting for the Territorial Army is succeeding," Mr Jones proceeded. "Despite the gloomy prophecies of interested parties, nearly 5000 additional men between the ages of 18 and 32 have responded to the Prime Minister's appeal. The majority of new recruits have attended, or will attend in the next few weeks, a sixdays' recruits' course at one of the district schools. Thev will then have carried out their • elementary training, and will be ready to carry on with more advanced training in the regiment. Territorial regiments have now officers, non-commissioned officers ana men, together with adequate weapons and ammunition, ready for action. We have the organisation and the equipment. We have the men—good men —who measure up to a high'standard physically and mentally. Officers and non-commissioned officers of the various units throughout New Zealand have a splendid opportunity and a most important duty to press on with training so that their platoons, troops and batteries, etc.. will be as efficient as possible in the shortest possible time. The men are so keen to learn that units are having difficulty in coping with the additional out-of-camp training involved, but they are tackling the work' in a great spirit, and excellent progress is being made. Efficient Organisation " Some critics say from lime to time that our territorials are untrained, the Minister concluded. "That is untrue. The majority are not fully-trained soldiers. Very few part-time soldiers ever could be. On the other hand, I doubt whether many regulars, officers or men. would consider themselves ' fully trained,' despite years of service and experience. But territorial regiments have men sufficiently .trained even now to fight as they are likely to fight here in New Zealand. They could hold coast defences against attack from the sea, or hold defiles against raiders trying, to penetrate inland, or make aircraft attack against our vital areas decidedly unpleasant for the attackers. Moreover, they would have good artillery support and plenty of motor transport with which to change front rapidly as the situation changed. I have every confidence that the expanded territorial force will progress just as quickly in fighting efficiency as it has in numbers.