MILITARY TITLES

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 62, 6 December 1937, Page 6

MILITARY TITLES

Many Changes Made In N.Z. Forces OFFICIAL RESHUFFLE Everybody knows tbat organisation is tbe essence of an army, but tbe mere civilian can hardly read a recent Gazette notice making sweeping changes in New Zealand military nomenclature without a certain amount of amusement. It seems that official designations were given to the wbole range of staff and otber officers away back in 1921 and that various amendments were made in tbe intervening years. Now the list has been revised from end to end as part of tbe general defence reorganisation. A number of functionaries bave been summarily deleted, but, as about an equal number bave been created, the balaitce seeius to have been kept fairly even. Changes of title are the most interesting part of the overhaul. General Headquarters becomes Army Headquarters, and the General Offrcer Commanding is now Chief of the General Staff. Commands are Military Districts and Regimental Districts are to be known by the humbler title of Areas. Naturally tbe aide-de-camp to tbe General Officer Commanding becomes tbe aide-de-camp to the Chief of tbe General Staff. Puzzling Alterations, No doubt there is some reason for the alteration, but tbe layman can only puzzle bis head to guess why the Assistant Quartermaster-Generai should now have to be known as the Deputy Quarterma'ster-General, wbile the Deputy ^ssistapt Quartermaster-Gen-erai becomes merely Staff Officer, "Q" Duties. Tbe last-named title is a little shorter than the one it supersedes} and rather easier to say in one breatb, but there must be some further explanation. Old soldiers doubtless will be sorry to see the disappearance of the Director of • Military Training and lntelligence who is metamorphosed into General Staff Officer, 1st Grade. The Officer-in-cbarge, Army Service Corps, is given a distinctly higher-sounding title, namely, Director of Supplies and Transport, but by a reverse process the Direotor 'of Artillery becomes Commander, Eoyal N.Z. Artillery. Retrospective Tities. Perhaps tbe most mysterious cbange is in tbe legal department, for tbe Gazette notioe creates tbe office of Deputy Judge-Advocate-General attd then proceeds to re-name its holder by tbe humbler designation of Legal Staff Officer. Strangest of - all, it appears that though the Gazette notice is dated November 22, the changes in designation are retrospective to September 1.' The reader naturally wonders what this involves. Does it mean that all documents for seven weeks back have to be gone over in order to readjust the tities of officers mentioned therein ? However, it is not for the civilian to trouble bimself about these tlxings. War is an old art, and antiquarians are still digging up stones which show tbat Caesar's legions had an elaborate system of Latin names. The New Zealand Military Forces are merely keeping up the old tradition. 1