THE NEXT FORCE

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2653, 27 December 1915, Page 6

THE NEXT FORCE

NEW MOBILISATION SCHEME

LATEST FIGURES

THE MEN WANTED AND THOSE*

SECURED

Now orders have been issued by the Defence authorities for the dispatch of men from the Wellington military district for 12th Reinforcements and li.c.o's for the 14th Reinforcements. Those quotas have been allotted to groups on the first estimate of tlie numbers of all men of military age in each group as shown by the national registration figures. When-the final figures under the National Registration Act have been obtained, they will probably cause an alteration in the quotas allotted for the next draft. Details for.the various units of tho 12th Reinforcements and n.c.o.'s for 14th Reinforcements will concentrate at camps as follows, Mounted Rifles, Army Service Corps. Veterinary Corps, at Featherston. Artillery, Engineers, Signal Service, Infantry, at Trentham. Meld Ambulauco, at Awapuni, Palmerston North.Group commanders are to dispatch their quotas to the camps concerned to arrive as early in the day as 'possible on Tuesday, January 11, 1916. Compatible with the requirements for the various .branches and the numbers legislated, single men and widowers without be selected in. the order in which they registered, single men 'and widowers without dependents being first considered, then married men without children, then those with one child, and so on. All n.c.o.'s will be selected by-District Headquarters, and the names communicated to group commanders, who will take the necessary steps to have them dispatched to camps. The following shows thj allotment of numbers by groups. These numbers include n.c.o.'s for 14th Reinforcements and men for the 12th Reinforcements:—

• All arms. No. 5 Group (Wellington) 226 No. G Group (Palmerston North IGI No. 7 Group (Napier) .• 144

No. 7a Group (Masterton) No. 8 Group (Hawera) ..

Total 795 The following shows the allotment to this district, by arm 9, for n.c.o.'s for the 14th Reinforcements and men for the 12th .Reinforcements :— 1 ■' • Men, N.C.O.'s, Hth. 12th. Mounted Rifles 9 132 Field Artillery—Gunners 3 34 Field "Artillery—Drivers — 21 Field Engineers 2 32 Signal Service 1 8 Infantry 28 ■ 493 Amiy Service Corps — 35 Field Ambulance 1 ' 16 Totals 14 "1 Grand total, 795. In addition, 16 men for the Veterinary Corps Reinforcements will be selected by the Director of. Veterinary Services and Remounts. Those men will be sent in to Featberston camp as they are selected and as they are available to proceed. AI9O, 4 telegraph operators and 2 linesmen for the Signal Service will be selected by the P. and T. Department, and. will be sent into Trentham camp' on Jannavy 12. The group quotas of men for the 12th Reinforcements are to be:—

The total number of fit men on the bodies of the' Wellington Military District is 1-152; the total of fit prospective N.C.O.'s, 216; and the total of recruits not examined 377. Fifty-one men were rejected during the week; the total registrations are 2126, of whom 1253 are available for the 12th Eeinforcements. The groups have men available for the 12th Eeinforcements as follow:

The following shows ho\t each group s infantry CLrolments, compares with tne call to be made on it on January 11:

499 397 118 1G The net infantry shortage, therefore,. is 102.

Before a recruit goes into camp it is the custom for his friends to make hiin a presentation. • Mr. A. E. M. Rowland states that he is prepared to' give a 'special rebate of 15 per cent. (3s. in the £) oft' all soldier's requisites, such as wristlet watches, binoculars, etc.—Advt.

> . 5 6 7 7a S Tl. Mounted 36 26 25 19 26 182 Artillery 15' 11 10 8 J oil Engineers 8 7 6 4 : 5 Si/nal • 2 2 12 18 Infantry 13i 101 90 67 101 -193 A.S.C. . 4. ...3 3 2 3 15 Ambulance ... ,5 3 3 2 3 16 •Totals 204 '153 138 104 152 '751

5 G 7 7a 8 T'l. Mounted 30 49 63 51 25 218 Artillery 158 25 2o 25 10 Engineers .... 06 17 8 6 1- 10 fsU£ 7? i si n-m A!S.C 38 30 15 7 9 99 Araijulanco .. 52 24 11 8 3 9S

Required Secured Short Over City 131 82 52 — Palmerston N. 107 77 30 — Napier 90 SO 10 JIasterton 67 83 18 Hawera 101 '5 26