LAST DAY FOR ENLISTMENT

Southland Times, Issue 24184, 22 July 1940, Page 4

LAST DAY FOR ENLISTMENT

Voluntary System Ceases Today

FIFTEEN RECRUITS ON SATURDAY

Today is the last day on which voluntary enlistments for home or overseas service will be received. On June 23 last the Cabinet approved of the recommendations of the War Council covering recruiting of manpower, one of which set out that the system of voluntary enlistment for service for home defence and overseas should cease definitely on July 22 with the exception of men for the Royal New Zealand Air Force.

On Saturday morning 15 recruits enlisted at the Invercargill Army Office, this number including five married and 10 single men. The names of four married and six single men were not available for publication. Although the voluntary system ceases from today there will probably be several postal forms from country districts coming in after the office closes this evening. The area officer, Major H. C. Mackenzie, stated yesterday that it was hoped to have all the enlistment forms in by tomorrow. Any forms posted later than today would not be accepted. It was not known when the last medical examination of volunteers would take place as this depended on the number of recruits to go before the medical board. It was expected, however, that all volunteers would be examined within the next 10 days.

According to the recommendations of the war Council only men who have attained the age of 21 and have net attained the age of 41 will be drawn for service overseas, and any ballot for overseas service will include men who are serving in the Territorial Force or home defence. Another of the council’s recommendations states that all men who volunteer up till July 22 will be accepted, on a voluntary basis, if eligible, and will not be balloted for until such time as the reserve of volunteers is exhausted. Accordingly those who wish to offer their services voluntarily will need to enlist today. Those of Saturday’s recruits whose names were available for publication were: SINGLE W. H. Coatsworth J. A. Tillard H. H. Orr J. G. Burke MARRIED N. L. Pratt At 7.30 tonight the returned soldiers’ section of the National Military Reserve will parade for reorganization and medical examination and the issue of equipment: