EXPEDITIONARY FORCES.

Rangitikei Advocate and Manawatu Argus, Volume XL, Issue 11405, 23 October 1915, Page 8

EXPEDITIONARY FORCES.

TRAN SPORT ARRANGEMENTS. Per Press Association, Wellington, October 22. The Minister for Defence informed a reporter to-day that owing to certain difficulties in regard to transports, some alteratons had had to he made in the method of sending away the reinforcements. “We have now found it possible,’’ said the Minister, “to arrange transports into four pairs leaving the Dominion at regular intervals of every four weeks instead of every calendar month. By so doing thirteen four-weekly drafts can he despatched in a year. By adopting this system the numbers of each draft will be reduced by 210 and since there will be four drafts iu training at a time iu camp, the strength will bo reduced by S4O. This will reduce the expense and improve the facilities for training. The number called up for the tenth reinforcements will still further be reduced by six hundred, owing to the fact that reinforcements and reserves required for the 3rd and 4th Battalions of the Rifle Brigade in camp wii not be necssary until the 11th Reinforcements are called up.”

THE 11th REINFORCEMENTS. Ih has been decided to send officers and non-commissioned officers for future reinforcements drafts into camp at Trentham for eight w r eeks’ preliminary training before they take over their men. Previously the preliminary training period which officers and N.C.O.’s underwent was live weeks. The change, which has been necessitated by the shortage of instructors, will he introduced with the 11th Reinforcements, officers and non-coms, for which will be sent into camp within the next few days. In consequence of the decision to send increased reinforcements for the field engineers and the signal service, and in view of the fact that officers for these arms of the service are difficult to procure, applications are invited from civil enigineers to go into camp as probationary noncoms, with the view to their qualifying and obtaining commissons in the branches named. The policy of not granting direct commissions will not be adhered to, and it is therefore necessary that all applicants not holding commissions in the Territorial Forces should go into camp as N.C.O.’s on probation, and so qualify by merit and examination for promotion to commissioned rank.