SURPLUS OFFICERS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 59, 3 December 1917, Page 6

SURPLUS OFFICERS

TOO MANY IN CAMP

TERRITORIAL OFFICERS' COMMISSIONS

During the first half .of the present year Defence Headquarters informeu Territorial officers who were members of the First Division, and who had not yet joined the Expeditionary Force, that they must oither enter camp oil certain dates or lose their commissions. The order was subject, oi courso, to the officers being passed as medically fit for active service. In the event of their losing their commissions they would got into camp as privates when called in the ballot,_ and nonld take thoir chance of promotion with thG rest of the balloted men. Accordingly more than 60 of these officers went to camp in July and August, and were posted to an Officers' Training C-prps. The announcement mado at the tirr.6 was that nftnr a poriod of trninmg about one cliii'd of tiiem would be given commissioned rank with reinforcements, and the otho'rs would levert to non-commissioned rank. _ _ Tho calling up of theso First Division Territorial officers has b'.'en rn6 factor in producing a surplus of officers in tho training camps. After the available commissions had been allottcci many of the remaining officers (lid not revert to non-commissioned rank, and it is stated freely in the cir.ips that the reason was their refusnl to-weai tho stripes. They contended th.it as they had not committed any military offence they were entitled legally t.o rotain their commissions, and it appears that they could no; he forced to accept lower rank. . Most of these 'iieii at the present time are on leave with full pay '"itil January. There art cases of Territorial officers who. in these circumstances, hace retained the rank of oaptain, and so are senior to lieutenants who have won Iheir commissions at the front and have been sent back for duty with reinforcement drafts.

The reduction of the reinforcement quotas has been another factor in producing the surplus of officers. The Defence authorities have to make their arrangements for the officering _oi drafts woll in advance of mobilisation, and consequently there were batches of officers in hand when the ordor foi the reduction came. Tho trouble will ho accentuated by tho breaking up oi the Fourth Brigade for the reinforcement of the New Zealand Dirision. Tho Fourth Brirado has its officers, who will bo used to cover wastage m tho commissioned ranks of the division, and in the meantime there will bo a further reduction of reinforcements from Now Zealand and a decreased demand for officers at this er.d. The drafts of officers sent back for reinforcement duty havo_ been arranged well in advance, and it appears that there will be a surplus of officers here for a long time to come. The men at present in the N.C.O. classes liavo been given to understand that they hr.ve practically no chance of getting commissions.