DEFENCE PLANS

Wairarapa Times-Age, 26 June 1943, Page 3

DEFENCE PLANS

REDUCTION OF MOBILISED STRENGTH WITHIN DOMINION ANNOUNCED BY PREMIER. ■WAR CABINET DECISION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Prime Minister (Mr Fraser) announced that the War Cabinet, acting on the advice of the Chiefs of Staff, had decided on a reduction of the mobilised Army in New Zealand and other adjustments in the fighting services to meet the changed situation in the Pacific. He recalled that Parliament held a secret sitting on May 20 and 21, when the Dominion's Navy, Army and Air Force commitments and activities, as well as civil defence and industrial requirements, in relation to man and woman power, were fully discussed.

“As regards home defence,’’ said Mr Fraser, “the War Cabinet has come to the conclusion that it is possible to readjust defence plans so that a considerable reduction can be made in the mobilised Army, thus making available men required for the expansion of the R.N.Z.A.F. and also to allow the return of others to industries connected with the war effort. The Army reorganisation will provide for a Territorial Army, portion of which will still be mobilised, this being essential for the manning of the coast and antiaircraft artillery, the administration and training of the Territorial Army as a' whole, and also for the proper care and maintenance of a large amount of war equipment, stores and transport vehicles. The remainder of the Territorial Force will be held on a non-mobilised basis, the personnel being required to perform training and to be kept in a state of readiness for remobilisation should the necessity arise. The personnel for the nonmobilised portion of the Territorial Army will be drawn from men in the following classes:— (A) Single men and marked men without children of medical grades 1 and 2, between the ages of 18 and 40 inclusive.

(B) Married men with not more than three children, grades 1 and 2, between the ages of 18 and 30 inclusive. In selecting these men, regard will be paid to the individual circumstances of each man, particularly: — (A) Availability fqr service in the event of an emergency.

■(B) Availability for withdrawal from industry for one month’s camp training per annum.

(C) Availability for periodical parades, in view of hours worked, location, etc. On reaching the upper age limit for service in the Territorial Army, men will be posted to the reserve and will not carry out any further training unless such is subsequently prescribed, but they will be liable to be called up for service on mobilisation, or, if liable, for overseas service. The annual obligatory training to be performed by non-mobilised personnel is to be one month in camp, and two whole day parades in each month. Youths of 18 years, becoming liable for service in non-mobilised units, will be required to undergo one month’s recruit training in camp before being posted to a unit. Those who have completed one month's camp training or six months’ Home Guard service, or such service in a secondary school cadet, unit as is considered equivalent to one month’s camp training, will be exempted from the month s recruit training. In order to maintain the mobilised section at full strength, youths will bo called up for full-time Home service on attaining the age of twenty. THE HOME GUARD. The Home Guard is to be allotted a reserve role as from July 1. but will retain its organisation and equipment. Members will be required io attend one compulsory full day parade of six hours every quarter.