MILITARY VIEWPOINT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 66, 17 June 1942, Page 5

MILITARY VIEWPOINT

ARMY AND E.P.S.O. QUESTION OF EVACUATION The attitude of the Army towards the E.P.S.O. was very explicitly stalled by Lieut. Col. R. Dawe, Area Commander, who is also military liason officer to Mr E. R. Wilkinson (District E.P.S. Controller) at the meeting of Rangitaiki district wardens at Whakatane last Monday. Col. Dawe said he know nothing of the E.P.S.O. service, but as liason officer to the district controller, lie could see no reason why the service should clash with the Home Guard. Both were complimentary but he of course placed the Home Guard first. In the Rangitaiki area lie could see little reason for the existence of an E.P.S. at all in view of the scattered nature of the population. For instance if a bomb were dropped between Mt. Tarawera and Edgecumbe it might kill a boy but; there was little need for a great organisation to follow it up. Need of the Army j The defence of the area depended upon the four battalions of the Home Guard. Men were needed and training was imperative. The army was not merely a collection of men in uniforms but a trained organisation with men specialising in all departments. He instanced his point by surmising that an earthquake had taken place and buried a section of the town. A hundred men from the Home Guard could be put on to the job of clearing at once. But he could not, if an army emergency arose find 20 men from the E.P.S. to use as machine-gunners. Speaking of evacuation he said that army orders were officially that the civilian population should 'stay put.' There had been enough learning from previous experience about the cluttering up of roads during an emergency. Rumour and counter rumour amongst masses of refugees made only for chaos. Problem of Food If people Were to be evacuated, how again were they to be fed, provisioned or catered for. The army had perfected a system of provisioning which made for the systematic feeding of every man, such as had enabled five million men to be fed in France in the last war, so that not one missed a meal. The Home Guard was now definitely part of the army as far as the Bay of Plenty was concerned and that was where the fit men ought to be. He dealt with the possibilities of emergency whereby in the event of it being a civil disaster, the E.P.S. would operate, but in the event of it being a military one such as invasion the Home Guard would function. However there were no military objectives in the Bay of Plenty. He could assure the meeting that he would not make any move in connection Avith the E.P.S. Avithout Mr Wilkinson's knowledge. The matter of billeting troops in the town was of course another mattci which he hoped the E.P.S. Avoukl g'iA T e the fullest consideration to. This Avas very important' in the event of an emergency but he could assure the meeting that AA'lierever the militarA" Avere stationed they would bring their own food Avith them. Merely Following Instructions Mr Wilkinson explained that the 'evacuation* scheme Avhich the organisation had in vieAv Avas not expected to clutter up the roads or hamper the army in any Avay. It was merely in accordance with instructions from Wellington, and would be put into force only Avhen orders Avere received to that effect - If they Avere to abandon the scheme and orders were given to put it into effect, there Avould be trouble. It was certainly not their intention to set up a panic. Mr J. L. Burnett (clnrrman) said he did consider it the duty of the E.P.S. to create a scheme Avhereby in the eA 7 ent of danger the Avomen and children could be taken to a place of safety and aAvay from the fighting area. His idea Avas that if given sufficient notice the tOAvn of Whakatane could be evacuated Avithin 24 hours and supplies of all kinds AA'ould follow. He felt it Avas only right and proper. Col. Dawe:. "Dispersion Avould be a better name. As it concerns Whakatane 'yes.' But not as it effects the county. The order could come for evacuation for 6 p.m. This could be done by your organisation. By all means carry it out.