SHORT TRAINING

Timaru Herald, Volume CLIII, Issue 22486, 22 January 1943, Page 4

SHORT TRAINING

Men Of 41-45 Age Group No Permanent Service CHRISTCHURCH, January 21. A statement that married men of the 41-45 age group, 'called by ballot shortly before Christmas, will not be permanently mobilised, but that those men released from industry and for whom appeals have not been successfully made will be given a small period of military training, was made by the Hon. D. G. Sullivan (Minister of Supply and a member of the War Cabinet), at a meeting of Christchurch East electors at Waltham last evening. Mr Sullivan said he had found a few matters arousing the attention of electors in the campaign. He had found that one of the questions in which the people were very interested, and naturally so, was the position of married men from 41 to 45 years of age recently called up, and the action the Government was going to take with them.

“And I want to say to you, in explanation of the action that is being taken, that so far as these men are concerned there is no intention of permanently mobilising them for army service. They will be given some military training in the same way as Territorials. I do not know how long it will be. Perhaps that will be determined a little later on—one month, two months, perhaps it may k>e three months. But there will be some small amount of military training so that they will have had some training in the event of the emergency becoming more acute than it is. “But even the small amount of military training they will get, will depend again on the industrial situation and subject, of course, to appeal. I think that is a matter that will be of some importance to people in the electorate, and they will be glad to know that there is no intention of permanently mobilising these men in the Army and they will be given only a comparatively small amount of military service.” “The second question being raised was that of youths of 18 to 21 years already giving military service who were in danger of losing their opportunities for occupational training,” Mr Sullivan concluded. “Well, the War Cabinet and the Government have been giving attention to that question also, and a plan is being worked out with the object of making sure that these boys rendering military service will get their training, whether they are university boys or apprentices or whatever their occupations may be,” Mr Sullivan said.