HOME GUARD

Dominion, Volume 36, Issue 17, 15 October 1942, Page 6

HOME GUARD

Findings Of Committee Of Inquiry DEFENCE MINISTER’S STATEMENT

Recommendations of the Committe of Inquiry of. the War Council on the Home Guard and a report containing comments on them by the General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military Forces, Lieutenant-General E. Pnttick, were tabled in the House of Representatives yesterday. A statement was also issued by the Minister of Defence. Mr. Jones, who said that the report had- been considered by the Government and had also been discussed wilh Lieutenant-General Pnttick and officers of his staff and the Director-General of the Home Guard, Brigadier R. Young. The report, which covers a wide field, emphasizes the fine spirit and keenness of the Home Guard.

The committee, which consisted of Air. Perry, AI.L.C’., cluiii’innii, Alajor-General Sir Andrew Russell. Air. Lowry. AI.P., ami Mr. Tirikatene. A1.1’., was set up.following representations made in Alareh hist by the Lender of the Opposition, Mr. Holland. Aleetings were held in the four main centres where evidence was taken. Oflieers at Army Headquarters, AA’eJlington, were also examined by the committee. “1 wish to pay a warm tribute to the members of the committee lor the painstaking and 'thorough manner in which they conducted the inquiry on behalf of the Government,” said the Alinister. “The report they, made is a most able and valuable one.” In discussions with the General Officer Commanding and senior oflieers at Army Headquarters, subsequent to the submission of the report, the committee stated that they were aware that action had been taken, or was being taken, by the Army in respect of many of the comments and recommendations included in the report, but. that ns these matters had come before them they hud thought it advisable to refer to them. The main features of tlie report, together witli an outline of the action alreadv taken or to be taken, uro dealt with by the .Minister in the following paragraphs:— In deciding the role to be played by the Home Guard in the defence of the country, Hie committee proposed that those iuittalions in areas most immediately essential for defence should be given priority and equipped to the utmost extent possible. This policy had already been adopted and almost bl) per cent, of tlie total battalions in the Home Guard have been given priority in the manner suggested. The remainder . have been issued with their training requirements of equipment, at least, and in many cases considerably more. Equipment.

There was admittedly a shortage of equipment in the early stages of (t tae formation of the Home Guard. Since then, however, the arrival of very large shipments from overseas - augmented in the case, of some items by local production has enabled a-considerable improvement to be effected. Issues of equipment will continue as supplies become avatlThc supplv of .303 ammunition is now very satisfactory, but the issue of .300 Amerienn rifles to Ilonin (itiard units tind a present shortage in that ammunition have necessitated restrictions iu training issues. This position is me., however, bv provision for men with .30 rifles to fire the remainder of then courses with .303 rifles and aminunitioii. Shipments to arrive will rectify the position with respect to .30 ammunition Increased production of cloth and the retention of uniforms which -Xew z-ea-land had agreed to supply overseas as n'art of the Empire Supply Organization Ims enabled an increased issue of uniforms to lie made to th-j Home Guard. Large quantities are still required to provide a second uniform for tlie troops permanently mobilized as well t.» nleto tlie Home Guard, ami production has been speeded un to the maximum. Io date 75.000 uniforms (00.000 service dress and 341.000 battle dress) have been issued to'the guard. An-issue ot 3000 a week will be made to the guard till a second suit of battledress has been supplied to all members of the mobilized f °Siii’ee tlie report was compiled. Hie i.esue of boots to the Home Guard lias increased from uO.OOO pairs to bo,ooo of grenades have now increased and thev have lieen issued to conip.ete Hie training scales and war reserve ut the guard. Personnel.

The committee commented on tlie shortage of personnel in many units, and supported the decision which had been mad# to appoint committees to deal with transfers between Home Guam and E.l’.S. organization. These committees appear to have done good work, ami the distribution of manpower between the two .organizations is now being dealt with in an efficient manner. Reference was made to the necessity for officers commanding Home Guard battalions having power to deal witli nonattendance at. parades and breaches of discipline. Tliese officers have in fact the same powers as other army officers, and no further powers are necessary. Bay. The report recommends payment of attendance at parades, but states there is a divergence of opinion on this question. The position is that whenever guardsmen are called out for a period of 2-1 hours or more they are paid at tlie rate of 7/- a day and rations and transport are provided. If the period of mobilization is for seven days or longer, or whenever guardsmen are required to attend courses of instruction, the same rates of pay and allowances ns are provided for.home defence forces are paid to guardsmen. The committee reports that there were strong requests that out-of-pocket expenses should be refunded to the men. Many of these expenses have been incurred in travelling long distances to attend parades, involving purchases of petrol I’etrol restrictions and tlie shortage of tyres now largely govern this matter. To meet the position, it is intended to make arrangements under which parades of units bo held and so reduce travelling. Men outside prescribed limits will carry out consolidated training as was done in tlie ease of the Territorial Force.- in* A reuoniDHHidjitioii hus been made that tlie capitation allowance of £1 per annum be paid on Un annual basis, and that it be inercsod to £2 per annum. It has been decided to pnv on the annual basis, progress payments being made quarterly with adjustments in the final quarters. Provision has been made whereby if an increase in the amount of the allowance is required, then it will lie authorized.

District and Group Directors

The committee reeomniended that the duties of district ami group directors should lie more clearly defined. The position of these officers Ims been very carefullv considered by the Government and the Army authorities. When the guard was first formed most valuable duties were discharged gratuitously by group ■md district directors, for which no words of thanks are too high. These duties are, however, mainly of an administrative and oi-mniziug nature, ami the time, has now come to concentrate on training and operational planning. It has been deelded therefore, that these appointments ■will no longer be continued. Instead, inside each Army area a number of zone commanders, with a training and operational staff, will lie appointed. Phese zone commanders will command, lerntorial and Home Guard units within their •zones Any possibility of divided control will thus be avoided, and, indeed, there will be in consequence a closer fusion of the Home Guard and the territorial army which is not only desirable but essential. The majority of the zone commanders will be appointed in a full-time capacity, the remainder on a part-time basis in the meantime, but the position of these will be reviewed at a later date Transport cannot be made available to assemble units and sub-units from widely-separated localities, for training purposes. Parades by smaller units and the consolidated training of men living at. a distance will greatly ease the position.