H.—l9

1930. NEW ZEALAND.

DEFENCE FORCES OF NEW ZEALAND. ANNUAL REPORT OF THE GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING NEW ZEALAND MILITARY FORCES.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

REPORT. The Hon. Minister of Defence. Wellington, Ist June, 1930. Sir, 1 have the honour to submit the following report on the New Zealand Defence Forces under my command for the period Ist June, 1929, to 31st May, 1930 1. N.Z. PERMANENT FORCES. The following changes have been effected during the year :— (a) Commands and Staff. Colonel J. L. Frazerhurst, V.D., M.D., N.Z.M.C., was appointed Director of Medical Services. Lieut.-Colonel R. B. Smythe, D.5.0., N.Z.S.C., was appointed G. 5.0.(1), Southern Command. Lieut.-Colonel Iv. MacCormack, D.5.0., M.8., N.Z.M.C., was appointed A.D.M.S., Northern Command ; and Lieut.-Colonel F. T. Bowerbank, 0.8. E., M.D., N.Z.M.C., A.D.M.S., Central Command. Lieut.-Colonel J. N. Rishworth, M.8., N.Z.D.C., was appointed Director of Dental Services. (b) Military Education. Lieut.-Colonel N. W. B. B. Thorns, D.5.0., M.C., N.Z.S.C., is attending the 1930 course at the Imperial Defence College. Major 0. H. Mead, D.5.0., N.Z.S.C., on his return from the Staff College, Camberley, was appointed Staff Officer-in-Charge, No. 11 Regimental District, Dunedin. Captain S. F. Allen, who underwent a course at the School of Signals, returned from England in December, 1929. Cadets. Cadets F. L. Davis, R. C. Queree, and B. Wicksteed, who recently graduated at the R.M.C., Sandhurst, were commissioned as 2nd Lieutenants in the N.Z.S.C., and are now undergoing attachments to infantry battalions at Home. Since September, 1928, no Cadets for commissions in the New Zealand Permanent Forces have been selected for training at the Military Colleges in England; this approved policy of appointment of officers to New Zealand Permanent Forces has thus been in abeyance for two years. The system has been found to be the most suitable from all points of view, and, whatever establishment of officers is maintained in the future, it is essential that vacancies shall be filled from specially selected Cadets who graduate at one of the colleges in England, and who are given a further opportunity of undergoing a course of training with a unit of the regular Army before returning to the Dominion. Owing to the constant development of military science it is important that, in the interests of the Forces generally, our young officers should be adequately trained for their duties, and it is therefore hoped that it will soon be possible to resume sending Cadets to England. Several New Zealand Cadets for commissions in the regular Army were accepted on His Excellency the Governor-General's nomination for cadetships at the R.M.C., Sandhurst, and the R.M.A., Woolwich, during the year. In these cases all expenses are payable by the parents of candidates. Wide publicity has been given by the Department to the opportunities that are open to New Zealand boys in this respect, and all possible assistance is given to candidates who are considered suitable and who apply for these cadetships. (c) Amalgamation of Regimental Districts. No. 2 Regimental District was recently merged into No. 4 Regimental District with Headquarters at Hamilton.