TERRITORIAL FORCE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24632, 13 June 1941, Page 6

TERRITORIAL FORCE

MAINTAINING ITS STRENGTH CALL ON MARRIED MEN UNLIKELY (0.C.) WELLINGTON, June 12. “ It is not proposed at present to call up married men, with certain exceptions, for the territorial force provided we can get sufficient single men, and we think we can.” said the Minister of Defence, Mr F. Jones, in an interview to-night. The Minister’s reply was made to an inquiry whether the Government intended to call up for the territorials married men in the overseas age group. “The total establishment of.the territorial force is 35,000 men, but because of the draw off for the overseas forces that number has been reduced and the number in the territorials is now less than the establishment,” Mr Jones said. “ With a review of the volunteers for the overseas forces who have been classed as 1A or 2, and the acceptance of "some of them into the territorials, plus the recruitment of the 18-year-olds of grade 1, it is hoped to make up the deficiency. “We also have men between 41 and 46 years of age who, if of the right medical grade, are automatically transferred to the territorials,” Mr Jones added. “This gives us for the territorials men of 18, 19, and 20, those between 21 and 40 already graded as 1A or 2, suitable men from 41 to 46, and a certain number of married volunteers.”