DEMOBILISATION WORK.

Colonist, Volume LXI, Issue 14958, 4 January 1919, Page 2

DEMOBILISATION WORK.

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS,

RETURN TO DOMINION,

COMPR EHENSIVE SCHEME

DELAYS TO BE AVOIDED.

The detailed arrangements for tho re- j turn of the .New Zealand Expeditionary Force from Europe to the Dominion were carefully worked out between Genoral Richardson, jcommanding in the United Kingdom, and "General R-ussoTl, commanding the division, months ago, and everything is in readiness for the scheme to be put into operation as soon, jas the troops may be -withdrawn, writes 'the London correspondent of the Auckland "Herald." > Though the authorities in England' have not much to do with the actual dispersal of troops on their arrival in New . Zealand and with their resettlement in 1 civil life, the scheme for their return from Europe has taken cognisance of both these aspects of the demobilisation,' and provides for a great deal feeing done before arrival in -New Zealand to pro-. •mote the other sides of demobilisation J [ As soon as possible after the declara-j ; tion of peace the New Zealand troops in; • each of the theatres of war and in the^ United Kingdom will bo concentrated m .suitable camps, where arrangements will be made for carrying out the education scheme. This important side of post!war resettlement has, up to the present, been in charge of Captain J. -It. KirJE, I Wellington Regiment, who before the ;\var was a solicitor in Gisborne. Cap-i I tain Kirk is now returning to New Zeailand, and is being succeeded by Lieu-tenant-Colonel H. Stewart, *D.5.0.,: M.C., Canterbury Regiment. Colonel Stewart is a Master of Arßs of Cam- . bridge, and is Professor of Classics at .Canterbury College. He has been on ■ active service throughout the war. i During the demobilisation the exist- ; ing education scheme will 'he further developed to provide for^(l) agricultural training at Torquay; (2) completion of apprenticeships and technical courses at ' colleges and universities ; (3) instruction 1 in the duties of. citizenship and the problems of public welfare, with special re.ference to New Zealand; (4) general education. All animals, vehicles, equipment and ammunition—except personal arms and ! cquipmenti—will be returned to Ordinance, as soon as possible after the declaration of peace. The issue of demo- i bilisation cards to all ranks of the force, commenced as soon as the armistice was | signed. j | SHIPPING TRANSPORT. j It is hoped that a certain number of ships will be placed definitely at the disposal of New Zealand for the whole period of demobilisation, thus enabling the authorities to maintain a constant stream of returning solaiers. It is expected that all ships used for transport I will return to .England with full food! cargoes. . I General Richardson estimates that in addition to 4000 New Zealand troops in Egypt, there will be 60,000 in France-, and England; together .'with TOGO civilian war workers,?2ooo dependents and wives, of soldiers, and a thousand or two New Zealanders who are- serving in the British Army and Navy. The personnel of the V.M.C.A./; New Zealand War Contingent Association and-the New Zealand Red Cross will be repatriated as circumstances permit. Dmcers and other ranks of the Royal New Zealand Artillery and New Zealand Staff Corps, will be returned ..to the Dominion as demobilisators there. The period of demobilisation will, of course, vary according to the number of ships available. If six sailings a month■ are possible, the period v.^fbo twelve, months or ten and a half months to the : final departure from England. If only four sailings are allotted, it will extend to 16-J- months. The force in Egypt can be removed in four montFifc, including the voyage, if two ships per month are allotted. ■ It is pointed out that New "Zealand ha.s sent to the war a larger percentage of its population than any other portion of the British Empire, and therefore.1 her need for returning them rapidly is most urgent. Six ships per month consequently appears .to he a minimum, number.

their discharge there are classified "E." '1 he 1914 eifss will be returned to New Zealand first, and each succeding class \vill be demobilised in turn. Tho whole of the troops on each ship belong to the some territorial district, and, if possible, ships will proceed to destinations in tho following order:—Auckland, Welington, Lyttelton, Dunedin. If shipping is available, one thousand men will bo brought from France to England every week. At the present moment, and^ during the rest of the armistice ? all ftie ships going to New Zealand will be used for taking invalids other than cot cases, low category men, and wives and families of men of all ranks whose early release has been asked for from New Zealand. CAMPS TO BE CLOSED. As soon as possible" the following camps will be closed and the personnel transferred to 'the demobilisation centre, which will be Slin<r Camp:—Tn*e Rifle Brigade depot at IJreeton; the Signal Company's depot, at Stevenage; the Machine-gun depot, at Grantham; the Field Artillery depot, at Ewshott; and tho Engineer "der^ot at Boscombo. This will be the first step of concentration in the United Kingdom. Thereafter, the New Zealand camps and establishments will go out of existence in the following order: —No. 1 New Zealand General Hospital, at Brockenhurst; Officers' and Nurses' Homes, at Brighton; Command, Depot, Codford; No. 3 New Zealand General .Hospital', Codford; Discharge Depot, at Torquay'; Convalescent Hospital,'' Hornchurch; No. 2 New Zealand General Hospital, Walton-on-Thamcs; Buitord Hospital (New Zealand section); Demobilisation Centre, Sling Camp; Headquarters, Mew Zealand Expeditionary Forces, in London. The depot at Torquay will he. retained for some time as an agricultural training centre.. Soldiers requiring to be fitted with artificial limbs will bo located at Walton, and will not be returned to New Zealand until they- have been satisfactorily fitted. Sling Camp will be formed Info a domobilisation centre or collecting station, where the troops will assembhTpreyious to embarkation, _ Members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces wishing to be discharged in tho United Kingdom will 7je discharged as soon as possible after the commencement o? demobilisation, -and special leave in the United Kingdom, for onsmess or other urgent reasons, will :be granted in special cases. ! During tho passage of the transports , a great deal of detail and clerical work ;to t,aeilitato the forwarding of men to I their own homes and their settlement ; iii civilian life will be carried out-, the object being -to release the men and tho transports without any delay.