WAR TROPHIES

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 191, 8 May 1919, Page 6

WAR TROPHIES

THE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION. Many applications have been received by the, Minister of Defence from local bodies and private individuals throughout the Dominion for war trophies, and as there is evidently some misunderstanding regarding tho system of distribution the Defence Department has Issued the following statement of the principles governing the matter:— Trophies captured by units must, in tho first instauce, be handed over to the ImprinJ authorities. Each unit subsequently submits claims for all articles captured, such claims being' dealt with by a special committee which in duo courao allots the trophies to the various units. Each regiment or territorial area iii New Zealand embraces one to five of the principal towns in the particular area. Thus Auckland city is the territorial area of the 3rd (Auckland) Regiment and Ist Battalion of N.Z. Rifle Brigade; Welling-

ton city the headquarters of the sth (Wellington) Regiment and 2nd Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade; Christchurch city the Ist (Canterburv) Regiment and 3rd Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade; Duncdin city . tho 4th (Otaso) Regiment and 4th Bat-' talion N.Z. Rifle Brigade. Similarly, provincially, tho territorial regimental area of the 15th (North' Auckland) Resilient embraces Whangorei, Dargaville, Helensville, and Kohukohn; the 7th (Wellington and West Coast) Regiment (embraces Wangauui; Martori, Palmerston 'North, and Feilding; tho 13th (Nelson and West Coast) Regiment,' Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Hokitika, Reef ton; tho 10th (North Otago) Regiment, Oamaru, Mosgie), Cromwell, Duntroon. On the formation of Expeditionary Force units, each battalion of infantry was composed of four companies, one company being drawn from' each territorial area. Each regiment of Mounted Rifles was similarly constituted by squadrons drawn from Mounted Rifle terri-' tdrial areas. It is therefore but natural that the personnel of eacli unit in (ha field and their relatives in New Zealand aro concerned that trophies captured by each unit should 1)6 distributed to their; own territorial areas throughout the Do-

minion. The principle governing the distribution of war trophies in tho Dominion is, therefore, that .ill trophies captured by the troops are issued in the first place . to the towns in which the headquarters of the unite which 1 captured them are situate. Headquarters of units have been instructed that, trophies so issued arc not to be considered tho exclusive property of the Tcsnectivo regimental areas, and that the claims of other, towns in those t areas must receive' consideration. With this end in view officers commanding units have been instructed to confer with the Mayors of towns in which their • headquarters are situate, requesting them' e in turn to communicate with tho Mayors. ■ of other towns in their areas with a view to forming committees'to deal with the , distribution, of tho trophies on an equit-

able basis. . ~',,. Applications for war trophies should not be made to the Hoii. the Minister of Defence, but to the Mayors of the towns in which tho headquarters of j units aro situate.