ARMY CHANGES

Waikato Times, Volume 131, Issue 21835, 16 September 1942, Page 2

ARMY CHANGES

UNITS FOR OVERSEAS |i TO INCLUDE ALL GRADE I MEN WELLINGTON, Tuesday A reorganisation of the composition t of the personnel of the Army in New t Zealand is proceeding. As the result of this, units intended for overseas c will consist of, and train with, a 100 c per cent Grade I personnel in all ranks.. This will enable thejr des- q patch overseas, whenever the time is < ripe, to proceed without any upset. * j They will be able to move to a man i from the commanding officers down J |to the privates. Similarly the forces J | intended purely for home defence ( i will consist, as far as fighting | strength is concerned, of Grade II c men. i The period of purely Territorial Force ballots resulted in fortress, j district and divisional forces being J composed of both Grade I and Grade * II men for active duties. i Under the reorganisation now well , under way, Grade I men from fort- / ress and district units are being transferred to divisional forces, and I in turn the last-named are sending j * their men who are below the overseas standard back to fortress and i district units for home defence. Officers Affected The transfer affects officers also c who are either over the ags for over- £ seas service or who are not Grade I. Complete stabilisation for the forces i both for overseas service and home defence will result from the proce- c dure and with future ballots the men * available will be posted according to their standard of fitness. i Grade II men, as recently an- J nounced by the Minister of Defence, i Mr Jones, are being re-examined and it is probable, as the result of J the benefit in health resulting from £ their Army service, that many will now become available for overseas . service. j The Army at present largely consists of men under the age of 30 and i those who will now constitute the | forces intended for overseas will be i men in their physical and mental prime. Youths under 21 will continue to take their places in the home defence forces till they reach q their majority, when they will be c available for overseas units. \