MUST ATTEND

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 82, 24 July 1942, Page 5

MUST ATTEND

HOME GUARD PARADES

POWER TO PROSECUTE

Home Guard 1 battalion commanders now have full powers to institute proceedings against Guardsmen who fail to attend the prescribed training periods each month. A memorandum outlining tlic obligations of Homo Guardsmen and defining the procedure to he taken in prosecuting Guardsmen in civil courts has been sent to battalion commanders and has been received in Whakatane. They are given pow-•-er to" institute a prosecution and the Adjutant of the battalion Avill cowith the civil policc in the proceedings. Power is given under the Defence Emergency Regulations to prosecute in the civil courts any member of the Guard who, without lawful excuse, fails to perform the prescrib- j ed training. Any person who commits an offence against the regulations is liable, on conviction, to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months, or a fine of £20, . and a further fine, not exceeding £5 for every day during which the offence continues. Two Sections The Home Guard is divided into two sections —division I. which consists of members (it ior combatant duties ; and division 11. which is made up of all the' remaining members of the Guard. Members ol division I are required to perform at least 24 hours of training a mo-nth. Youths between the ages of J(5 and 18 years,, who are in division

111, are required to render the same service. Other members of division II are required to serve for a period to be determined by the battalion ■ commander, and this is not to be less than eight hours a month.

For division I battalion commanders are required to issue orders prescribing the parades to be held each month. At least half of the 24 hours' training must be performed on full or half-day parades, and a member who fails' to attend these parades will be deemed to have failed to perform the prescribed training, notwithstanding that he may have put in the full number of hours on other parades. Inspection of Rolls At the end of each month the battalion commanders are required to inspect the rolls • and ascertain which members have failed to perform training for the required number of hours. Provision is made for limited exemptions from training in eases of extreme hardship. If it is claimed by a member that by reason ot his occupation he will be unable to attend parades for a prolonged period he will be required to apply to the Armed Forces Appeal Board for exemption.