FOR COASTAL DEFENCE

Sun (Auckland), Volume I, Issue 212, 26 November 1927, Page 1

FOR COASTAL DEFENCE

FIRST STEPS TO EXTEND NAVAL RESERVE CAPTAIN MIDDLETON’S WORK (Special to THE SUN.) WELLINGTON, Friday. No time is being lost by the Defence Department in carrying out its project of extending the system of Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve training, started at Auckland, to the other main ports. The newly-appointed Director of Royal Naval Reserves, Captain J. R. Middleton, D. 5.0., R.N.. will visit Christchurch within the next few weeks to make ara'ngements for the formation of a company. Captain Middleton took up his duties at Wellington, which is to be his headquarters, on Tuesday, and is taking immediate steps to form a division of Naval Reserves here. The same procedure will be followed in Christchurch and Dunedin. To begin with, only one company of 60 men will be enrolled, and about eight officers will be required, including possibly a medical and an accountant officer. Inquiries are being made for suitable candidates for commissioned rank, and also for a chief petty officer instructor. Preference will be given to those who served as officers in the Navy or mercantile marine during the war, but consideration will be given to other suitable applicants. The success of the scheme at Auckland,where great enthusiasm has been shown by all ranks and ratings, and very efficient units have been built up, has made the naval authorities confident that there will be no lack of volunteers for this important arm of the service, which will play a great part in the coastal defence of New Zealand