Camps And Parades For Eighteen-Year-Olds

Chronicle (Levin), 1 July 1949, Page 4

Camps And Parades For Eighteen-Year-Olds

WELLINGTON, June 30. • An outline of the plan which has been draWn up for the introdueing of cowpulsory military trainiiig if the coming referendum is carried, was co:itained in a memorandum circnlated to members of the House Of EepresentatiVes • to-night. Mf Pfeaser referred. to . the memorandum - when moving* -the. second l'eading of the Bill. The plan is. as follows: — • On teaching the age of 18 yeari, all male British subjects ordinarily resid- - ent ia ,New Zealand, will' register at.. the .nearest. district office' of the 'Bepartment of Labour, eitlier in person or by registered letter. * " . ( . / Every person so registering will be able to indicate his pTeferenje as to the set'vice to which he wishes to be . posted for training. Pollowing registration, the National Service Department wiil arrange for a

medical examxnation of the appLicant for the serving of an enlistment notice and heSring of any appeal for the postponing of training. The Department will then hand the recruits papers to the appropriate service, Navy, Army or Air Porce. As far as qompatible with the requirements of each service, recruits will be posted in accordance with stated preferenees. This will be done as soon as possible after registration. T.he appropriate service will then issue a notice calling th^ recruit up for a period of 14 Weeks ' fulltime training which will coinmence in th6 year following that in which the recruit reached the age "of 18 years. In certain .cases the flnal selection of trainees' for the service to Which they will ultimately be posted, may be deferred-' ffintil after the calling. up notices have been issued. Peuding siich liual selection, recruits will be called up by the Army. The Army proposes to hold two camps for army trainees in' each year. One will be held in the summer montiis, pfobably starting in January, and the other in the winter months starting m May. The latter period has been se"lected to meet the requirements of the farming industry and those in seasonal

occupations. Two camps were proposed rather than three as the instruetional stalfs were also required to train aLl regular force troops, to hold regular fOrce courses and examinations, to hold courses for Territorial officers and n.e.o. 's and, wherever possible, to assist with Territorial unit camps. ; The statement said naval and air 'force recruits would be called up for their period of fulltime training in a manner sitailar to that proposed by the Army, with the, possible qualilication that it might be desirabR; • to spread this training over three intakes • ihstead . of two. This remained to be decided, Such a procedure would reduce any adverse affect on induStries and occupations of a seasonal nature. Following a trainee's attendance at the 14 weeks' fulltime camp, he wiil be posted .to a Territorial Force. unit in wbieh -he- wiMr-be requii-ed'to; serve ,fo'r • three years, carrying out each year 14 days in camp and six- days of other training, week-end camps and equipment parades, At the end of the three years he wiil be posted to the reserve in which he • will remain for six years. No training is required while on reserve but a soidier must notify any change of ad- .. dress. Procedure in the Navy and Air v Force subsequent to t^ie compietion of the fulltime training period, will be generally similar to that adopted by the Army.