TRAINED MEN IN SPECIAL FORCE

Southland Times, Issue 23923, 15 September 1939, Page 8

TRAINED MEN IN SPECIAL FORCE

POSITION DEFINED BY MINISTER

NO STIPULATION ABOUT UNIT OR RANK

(From Our Parliamentary Reporter) WELLINGTON, September 14.

The case of trained men in specialist units of the Territorial Force volunteering for service wherever they may be required to go was referred to by Mr J. A. Lee (Lab., Grey Lynn) in the House of Representatives this afternoon.

In an urgent question addressed to the Minister of Defence (the Hon. F. Jones) on behalf of the Hon. W. E. Barnard, Mr Lee asked whether such men would be allocated to the same type of specialist unit so that their training and experience could be fully utilized and whether any rank held by such volunteers would continue to be operative with its corresponding rate of pay. “A typical case is that of a single man aged 28 with 10 years territorial experience in battery, infantry, machinegun and rifle and medical unit training, who has held stripes in all of them,” said Mr Lee. “He is now a sergeant in a medical unit, on the official records of which he is described as a nursing sergeant, and f if his unit were called up as a body this would be his rank and work.” NO PARTICULAR UNIT The Minister replied that a man who enlisted for service in the special force could not be accepted for service in any particular unit. The military authorities must retain the right to post or transfer him to any unit within the force. Wherever possible, a man would be posted to the unit in which he had had previous training. Previous non-commissioned officer rank in the Territorial Force was a very good recommendation for promotion in the special force, but in no .way conferred any right on a man to be granted that rank ip the special force. In other words, a man enlisted in the special force without any stipulation about the unit or rank in which he would serve. The position in the case cited in, the question was correct, Mr. Jones-.added. If a unit of the Territorial Force was called up the rank and appointment, in that unit would be retained. MORE VOLUNTEERS IN NORTH AUCKLAND’S TOTAL FOR THREE DAYS (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, September 14. Volunteers for the special military force for service within -or beyond' the Dominion totalled 364 at; various centres in the Northern Military \ District today, bringing the. aggregate, for the district up to 3762 for three days’recruit-, ing. The metropolitan enrolments at the Drill Hall were 78, .making 1755 for the city in three days. For the other‘areas

in the district the total enrolments up to tonight were Hamilton 853, Paeroa 693, Whangarei 461. / ■ j' Christchurch The total enlistments in Christchurch is now 680. Today’s total was 75. Dunedin Today’s recruiting figures totalled 50, making the total to date 475 at Dunedin. , ; New Plymouth Of 149 recruits in • Taranaki who up to tonight underwent medical examination, for the special force, 122, almost 82-per. cent., were certified as fit. Recruiting was continued- today and 47 more- enlistments brought the total for the province'■ to 563. •'. • Hastings ‘ The total enlistments. in the Central District for the special force totalled at 5 p.m. today 876. The centres’ totals are: Gisborne 229, Napier 165, .Hastings 183, Dannevirke 143, Masterton 156.