MEMORIES RECALLED

Evening Star, Issue 23369, 12 September 1939, Page 8

MEMORIES RECALLED

RECRUITING IN 1914-1918 HEW ZEALAND'S SPLENDID EXPEDITIONARY FORCE OVER 90,000 VOLUNTEERS Recruiting to-day for the special force which is being raised for service within, or beyond New Zealand recalls vivid memories of the month of August, 1014, when a call was made for volunteers for the Main Body of the ExpCditionary Force. So generous was the response of young New Zealand that the required numbers were obtained within a few days. From office, workshop, farm, shop, and every walk of life they came in hundreds to offer their services, and many and varied were the expedients to get’ awav used by those for whom a. plflCQ could not bo found immediately. , „ . . It took 11 days for the Dominion to despatch its first Expeditionary Force ii 1914. On. August 15 a force of 55 officers and 1,358 other ranks left Wellington to capture German Samoa Two months later, on October 15, after waiting for transport, 360 officers a,nd 8,139 other ranks—the Mam Body —embarked for what they expected to Europe, but which became Egypt aful Gallipoli. , The total strength of the Samoan force and the Main Body, despatched a little over two months after the outbreak of war, was 415 officers and 9,497 other ranks, the equivalent of over 400,000 for a country with the populate of Great Britain. For the remainder of the war tbe Dominion continued to send a stream dt reinforcements. Of a total popular tion in 1914 of barely 1,100,000, as nwmy as 124,211 were called up for active service at home or abroad. Of this total, nearly 92.000 were volunteers. , . ' The number called up for foreign service was 117,175, and of these 100,444 actually went abroad. This number included 550 nurses, and 2.227 Maoris and Rarotongans, but it did not include aO9l New Zealanders who _ joined trie Australian Forces, and 1,279 who joined, the British Forces. The history of the New Zealand Expeditionary Iforce began on August 7, 1114. when the New Zealand Government cabled to the Imperial Government offering the services of a headquarters staff of a division of two hr-ipides, one of mounted rifles and the other of infantry. The offer was accepted by the Imperial Government on August 14, and the mobilisation and concentration of the men_ and horses began immediately. It might be said that on the day when the Main Body force of over 9,000 sailed to the aid of the Mother Land New Zealand achieved nationhood. It was the first great ex- • pression of her Imperial obligation, and although her effort was to reach the then undreamed-of total of over 100.000 it was no mean achievement to despatch within two months after acceptance of her offer of aid an equipped force of oter 9,000. Almost month by month till the end of the war a regular supply of reinforcements was sent overseas to kvep the forces up to strength, and by 1616 the Dominion was maintaining abroad a full division of three brigades of infantry, a brigade of mounted troops, a nursing service, two hospital ships, and numerous other units. As the war dragged on the serious nature of the task and the absolute necessity of united effort was realised from one end of the country to the other with an earnestness that was intense. Political parties sank their differences, and a strong Coalition Government was formed. The people became the driving force, constantly compelling Parliament to ever-inoreasing action. cry for universal service two years after the outbreak of waivcame not from the Government, but from the largest section of the people, who were determined that the effort to save all should come from all ._ _ Those who sought popularity by raising objection to the Military Service Act, which was passed on August 1, 1916, found them selves swept aside by the surging tide ■of patriotism. The voluntary system would have sufficed for the needs of the Dominion, but public opinion of its unfairness £tfid the necessity for conserving the interest of essential industries led to the ballot system. ’The Military Service Act involved the enlistment of nil males between tbe ages of 20 and 45. The eligible men resuiting were divided into < two classes, the first consisting of unmarried men,' those who had married after May 1, 1916, and widowers with no children. The Act provided for calling up by public ballot as men were required, though voluntary enlistments were still accepted, and many men so offered themselves. In all New Zealand supplied 91,941 volunteers and 32.270 under the Military Service Act from the outbreak of war to November 12. 1918. When the Armistice was granted by the Allied Powers a total of 124.211 of the pick of New Zealand’s manhood, from an eligible male population of under 205,000, had been called to serve with tbe New Zealand Expeditionary Force. Of those who left on the great adventure nearly 17,000 lie in the hallowed ground of Egypt, Gallipoli, France. Palestine, Mesopotamia, Samoa, and elsewhere, after making the supreme sacrifice in the cause of freedom and civilisation. Over 41,000 suffered wounds or injury. It is only by comparison with the Msponse of the’ other great dominions fo jdie Empire’s call that one may ade- • qjiately realise the proud position that Jfew Zealand holds in the war of 191418. While New Zealand provided ser- ' vice troops equal to 19.35 per cent, of her white male population, Canada sent - 151.48 per cent, and Australia 13.43 per cent. These figures are far more illustrative than volumes of jingoistic laudation.