CIVIL DEFENCE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 116, 20 May 1942, Page 4

CIVIL DEFENCE

REGIONAL COMMISSIONERS APPOINTED E. ORGANISATION CONTROL WANGANI I tNDF.K FORMER FOROELL MAX 'P.A ' Wellington. May If). The Minister of .National Serv.ce, Hon. R. Sample, announced to-day the Government’s appointment of three regional commissioners an i a number nf district con' rollers for civil defence administration. N(>RTHERN REGION, which rides with the area covered by the Northern Military Command: Colonel F. L.-G. Wert. of Auckland. CENTRAL REGION. which coincides with the Central Command Area: Colonel C. V. Ciochetto, ol Palmerston North. SOUTHERN REGION, which coincides with the South rn Command Area: Colonel W. T. Churchward, of Timaru. Col. Francis Leveson-Gower West an Auckland lawyer, is at present fipputx -Judge-Advocate-General foi Np’a Zealand Military Forces anc served on Gallipoli and in France during the 1914-18 v ar. Col. Ciochetto. M.C., M.M.. server throughout the 1914-18 war. Prior tc the present war he was engaged ir business at. Palmerston North. Oi tiie formation of the Home Guard h» was appointed Group Director. 6A area. He was born at Fordell, Wanganui. Col. Churchward was born al Dunedin and served with the Seco nt Canterbury Regiment in the Great War. He was Crown Prosecutor at Blenheim and was appointed Group Director of the Home Guard foi Marlborough. Last July he returnee to the active list and conducted troop* to Egypt Subsequently he was appointed in command of ail troops ir sub-areae 10A. ’’The commissioners, who have al I.ad military experience, will hdi the rank of colonel in Hip Army and will he s'connect for duty with the Minister of National Service.” sair Mr. Sernplr. “They will be associated with the combined headquarters ft-i the respective military districts an will consequently havej full know JedgA of nil proposals likely to concern the E.P.S. and keen the latter fully informed of all aspects of civi defence in their relationship wit? military operations. ’’The district controllers will be responsible 'hrough the regional com missioners for working efficient o.f the emergency precautions ser vices in their areas, for their ful co-ordination. for uniformity oi operation and consitution and for useful combinations where they can b( advantageously obtained.” Controllers and Districts. For district control the Domimor has been divided into 16 geogranhica districts, to each a district controllei is being appointed. The following appointments have been made:— Northern Region: North Auckland and Auckland metropolitan area: Mr

lA. J. C. Allum. Mayor of Auckland: .Waikato, Mr. H. D. Caro, Mayor of | Hamilton; Hauraki. Major E. Edi wards. Mayor of Paeroa. | Central Region: Poverty Bay, Mr. |N. H. Bull. Mayor of Gisborne; i Hawke’s Bay. Mr. T. W. Hercock, if Napier; Taranaki Mr. P. a • Stainton. chief controller of the New inui-.Vlana- ‘ waiu-Horowhenu.a, Mr. T. L. Seddon, I Mayor of Feilding; Wairarapa, Mr. T. iJordan, Mayor of Masterton; WeiI imgton metropolitan area. Mr. T. C. A. . i Hislop. Mayor of Wellington; Nelson- , I .Marlborough. Mr. E. R. Neale. Mayo: 1 of Nelson. r i Southern Region: West Coast. Mr. i G. R. Harker. Greymouth; Christr church-Nor;h Canterbury. Mr. E. FI. I Andrew s. Mayor of Christchurch; v ! South Canterbury. Mr. P. B. Foote. p . acting-Mayor of Timaru; Otago, Mr. l? ; A. 11. Alien Mayor of Dunedin; Soulh- , land. Mr. H. J. Macalister, Controller j. I of the Invercargill E.P.S. ( i I An appointment is still to be made if for the Bay of Plenlv district. Mr. Semple said ’hat the honor- ’ ary duties of district controllers up : to the present had called for much ■ j time and energy, hut their new activiI ties would make still greater demands 4. upon them. Their acceptance of U these important positions without )r remuneration was much appreciated K i :by the Government. Regional corr- , _ ■ missioners and district controllers met . in conference with him on Fridav, when the opportunitv was tak n n to o | discuss fully all matters relating to i n 'the new or anisation.