DEMOBILISATION.

Press, Volume LV, Issue 16436, 1 February 1919, Page 9

DEMOBILISATION.

« NEW ZEALAND PLANS.

(From tho Official War Correspondent.)

LONDON, January 29. The demobilisation of the Division has beon proceeding steadily from Germany. Three thousand five hundred have already left, and in about nine weeks, if all goes well, the Now Zfl|<vlanders' "watcli on the Rhino" will have ended. As demobilisation progresses the units are reorganised and amalgamated in an infantry amalgamation that will preserve their identity, till finally there will be an amalgamation cr those remaining in the Auckland and Wellington units to form a North Island Battalion, and those in Canterbury and Otago to form 3 South Island Battalion. Simuarly the Rifle Brigade is being reduced to one battalion. Other units are being dispersed by a process of reduction and amalgamation. Tho Maori Battalion, which, was demobilised as a unit, is already en route to New Zealand. In the Divisional Artillery tho batteries are being gradually reduced. The light trench mortar batteries are being disbanded and medium _ trench, mortars have been absorbed in the D.A.C. Horses and vehicles are being disposed of here. Equipment for Now Zealand's post-bellum defence forces, including field guns, trench mortars, and niachine-gnns, will eventually be sent to New Zealand but in viow <"P the prosent shipping scarcity this will take considerable time.

Demobilisation is being carried out on tho basis of length of service. Officers and others desiring it can obtain their discharge in England. Four pioneer companies and iVrteen bands are being demobilised as units, and special arrangements are being made for the custody of the valuable sets of instruments that hava been acquired. A Canteens Board has been formed n the Expeditionary Fore© to deal with accumulated profits, which aro considerable, in the interests of the troops generally during demobilisation, or to bo held on account of particular units. Demobilisation will most probably continue to be from English ports, a fortnight's leave being granted before departure. The evacuation of camps and hospitals in England has already commenced. The Field Artillery Depot at Ewshoto, the Signal Depot at Stevenage, the hospital at Sidcup, and the Engineers' Depot at Boscombe have already been evacuated. The approximate dates for the evacuation of others are:—

Machine-gun Depot at Grantham, January 29th. Brockenhurst Hospital, January 31st. Rifle Depot at Brocton, Febrnarv 4th. Convalescent Hospital at Hornchurch, February 25th. Auxiliary and General Hospital and Motor Transport Section at Oatlands. February 25th. G Group, Torquay, March 11th, Officers' Convalescent Hospital at Brighton, March 18th.

Nurses' Home. Brighton March 25th. B Group, Codford, April 2nd. Hospital, Codford, April 9th. Hospital, Walton, in May. A Group, Sling Camp, June Ist. Gtoup, London. August. Motor Transport Depot. Weybridge, August.

These dates will depend largely on the amount of shipping allocated for demobilisation, and they might be detrimentally affected by the strikes of coal-minors or transport workers m Groat Britain.

In the final stages Codford will !e a receiving depot. Sling a reorganising depot, and Torquay a discharge depot. Various officers have been selected to proceed to Nct Zealand in connexion with demobilisation there.