INSTANT RESPONSE MADE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLVIII, Issue 21817, 21 November 1940, Page 5

INSTANT RESPONSE MADE

Southern Rhodesian Forces Well Organised British Official Wireless (Received November 20, 6.30 p.m.) RUGBY, November 19. Southern Rhodesia was the first member of the British Empire family to be on active service during the present war. The High Commissioner pointed this out in an address to the Royal Empire Society, London, Mr Lanigan O’Keefe dealt mainly with Southern Rhodesia's war effort and explained how an instant response to the call had been possible. “One of the first things we did under responsible Government,” he said, “was to bring in what might be called a Conscription Act. Under it young men are compelled to undergo certain military training from the age of 18. So keen were they to do this service, I think I am right in saying that the Act never had to be enforced. Many of these lads went much further with their training than they had to. As a result we had two regiments of very highly trained men when war broke out and a small but very efficient air force. We were able, therefore, right from the start to give valuable assistance to the Mother Country on the day war broke out. Some of our forces are 1090 miles from our borders. Within a few weeks our tropps were distributed largely as highly trained officers and n.c.o.’s in no less than nine colonies in Africa. In addition we have been able to send strong contingents of infantry, artillery and airmen both to Kenya and the Middle East. A very high proportion of our population between the ages of 18 and 60 is under active training for service wherever the Empire can use them best. In conjunction with the Imperial Government we embarked on an ambitious scheme of air training. We are rapidly establishing nine flying schools, some of which are already complete. It will not be long before a steady stream amounting to some thousands a year of highly trained airmen will be arriving in Britain where already some hundreds of young Rhodesians are undergoing training as ground staff."