H—s

SECTION IX.—WOMEN'S ROYAL NEW ZEALAND NAVAL SERVICE • Women's Royal New Zealand Naval Service numbers rose to 518 ratings in July, 1945, with 20 officers in August, 1945. Owing to demobilization and discharges for marriage and compassionate grounds, the strength of the Women's Royal New Zealand Naval Service as at 31st March, 1946, was 12 officers and 297 ratings, and as W.R.N.Z.N.S. personnel are in the process of being totally demobilized, no entries were approved after VE Day. 2. Members of the Women's Royal New Zealand Naval Service have been mostly employed on demobilization work in Navy Office and establishments as they became available from duties no longer required after the cessation of hostilities. Thus the main category now needed is that of writer, with cooks and stewards and communications branch forming the balance. 3. In response to a questionnaire to Women's Royal New Zealand Naval Service personnel asking for volunteers to serve a further period of six months, 38 per cent, expressed themselves willing to continue in the service, but marriage and compassionate releases have since somewhat reduced that figure. SECTION X.—PERSONNEL : OFFICERS With the termination of active hostilities it is now possible to review the numbers of officers who have served with the Royal New Zealand Navy from the outbreak of war to the present time. Royal New Zealand Navy : Permanent Officers (a) Prior to the outbreak of hostilities there were 82 officers serving on the active list of the Royal New Zealand Navy, 74 of these being loan Royal Navy officers mostly serving in H.M.N.Z. ships " Achilles " and " Leander," and the remaining 8 being permanent Royal New Zealand Navy : 1 Chaplain, 1 Supply Branch Officer, and 6 officers of warrant rank (Executive, Communication, Engineer, Electrical, and Schoolmaster Branches). Early in the war the Government gave approval for the inauguration of a scheme for the direct entry of commissioned officers in the Executive, Engineer, and Supply and Secretariat Branches, which, on a long-term plan of approximately three Cadetships annually, would eventually man the Royal New Zealand Navy with New Zealand officers. Commencing in 1940 with the entry of 1 Cadet (Executive Branch) and 2 Sub-Lieutenants (Supply Branch), up to 31st March, 1946, 21 officers have been entered under this scheme : 12 Executive Branch Cadets, 5 Engineering Branch Cadets, 1 Supply and Secretariat Branch Cadet, and 3 Sub-Lieutenants (Supply and Secretariat Branch) (3 of these Cadets were entered in year ended 31st March, 1946). One Cadet (Executive Branch) and one Sub-Lieutenant (S) have been killed in action, leaving 19 direct-entry officers still serving. With these are 7 commissioned officers who originally entered the Naval Service as ratings, 6 warrant officers, 2 Chaplains, and 2 Schoolmasters, also 2 Royal New Zealand Naval Volunteer Reserve officers have transferred to short-service commissions in the Royal New Zealand Navy, making a total of 38 permanent Royal New Zealand Navy officers as at 31st March, 1946. During the war 1 officer was promoted from the lower deck to a permanent executive commission, and 9 ratings were promoted to permanent warrant rank, 3 of whom subsequently achieved commissioned status in the Supply and Secretariat Branch. One Medical Officer was entered for a short-service commission in the Royal New Zealand Navy. Royal New Zealand Navy : Temporary Officers (b) Early in 1941 a scheme was introduced for the grant of temporary warrant rank to ratings who had had long service and who were nearing the end of their engagements. Thirty-eight warrant officers have been so promoted, 1 of whom has since attained

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