FINE RESPONSE

Evening Star, Issue 23369, 12 September 1939, Page 6

FINE RESPONSE

RECRUITING GOHNCES ENROLMENTS FOR SPECIAL FORCE Recruiting for the special force of C,6UO men for service overseas or at home commenced this morning, and there was a ready response Jocgily. Enlistment is entirely voluntary, and is confined to men between the ages of 21 and 35 years. Preference is being given to single men 'not engaged in essential industries, and enlistment will be for the duration of the war and 12 months thereafter, or until lawfully discharged. This morning intending recruits commenced to assemble at the Drill Hall, Kensington, about half-past 7, and by the time the recruiting office opened at 9 o’clock there was a crowd of about 100. This was maintained throughout the morning, new men arriving as others left. No medical examination is being made at present, enlistments only being taken. Each applicant is given a registration certificate, and wien a selection has been made, those who have been successful will be notified to attend a medical examination.

The area staff officer (Major A. Bongard, M.C., N.Z.S.C.) this morning emphasised the necessity of the men retaining their civilian occupations until notified of their acceptance. Even the passing of the medical examination should not be taken as an indication that the applicant lias been selected as a member of the force. Those who are eventually selected should endeavour to arrange' with their employers for _ leave for at least three months, as in the event of their services not being required immediately on the completion of their three months’ training, they will be ."ranted leave and allowed to return to their civilian employment. The Armv Department officers were very please'd with the response to the appeal and remarked on the number of serving Territorials, both officers and men, who lined up in the queue. All classes of the community appeared to be represented, and the average standard was satisfactory. OVER A THOUSAND BIG QUEUE AT AUCKLAND [Pee United Press Association.] AUCKLAND, September 12. Over 1,000 men, a sprinkling being Territorials in khaki, queued outside the Drill Hall this morning to enlist in the special voluntary military force. The men were of all types within the age limit of 21 to 35. Some were in sports attire; others artisans m overalls Maoris in smart suits; others in woolly lumber jackets, the clerks in well-tailored clothes contrasting with the rough workaday outfits of the manual workers. Some of those offering were over the age or too young, and were turned hack by the sergeant at the drill hall door. There was no excitement, no bravado, and no noise, and a more prosaic, mat-ter-of-fact scene it would have been difficult to imagine. 301 ENROLMENTS BY NOON CHRISTCHURCH, September 12. Recruiting for New Zealand’s special force began at 9 a.ra., when there was a queue of more than 100 young men waiting. Throughout the morning applicants arrived in a steady stream, and were put through at the average rate of 100 an hour, At noon there had been 301 enrolments, and applicants w.ere still coming forward. BUSY AT CAPITAL WELLINGTON, September 12. The splendid response by the young men of Wellington to the call for volunteers for military service within or outside of New Zealand was indicated by the busy scene at the Drill Hall this morning. An efficient organisation is dealing with the hundreds of men who are offering, and registration has been going ahead steadily at high speed. An officer states that the men are a first-rate type, and) they represent every section of the community. Medical examination commences to-morow, with a schedule to deal with some 500 men daily. SMALLER CENTRES [Pee United Press Association.] There was an enthusiastic response to the appeal for volunteers for the Army at Mastertou. Fifty-four names were handed in at the recruiting office this morning. At Dargaville enrolments are coming in steadily. At 11.30 45 had been handed the recruiting officer, who reports n good type of keen young men. It is not anticipated that there will be any difficulty in securing Northern Wairoa’s quota of 70. The response at Palmerston North was most encouraging, 120 being enlisted before noon.

Up till noon 220 enlistments had been received at the three Taranaki offices—--120 at New Plymouth, 60 at Hawera, and 40 at Stratford,