THE REINFORCEMENT DRAFTS.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XL, Issue 1808, 2 April 1918, Page 3

THE REINFORCEMENT DRAFTS.

A further change has been made in the numbering of reinforcement drafts. The recruiting authorities have been advised that, owing to training requirements, it will not now be necessary to find a draft at the end of April. This draft was to have been made up in the eainps, but it will now lappe. The 40th Reinforcement will be mobilised next week, and the 41st Reinforcement at the end of May. Subsequent drafts. will require to be re-numbered accordingly, and the new numbers and dates of concentration are as follows :—; • Concentration. Reinforcement. Date. 40th April 3 —6.. 41st .. May 28 th —June "Ist. 7 42nd .... June 25th —29th. ’ 43rd July 23rd—27th. 44th..... Aug. 20th—24th. 45th .... Sept. 17th—21st. 4(ith Oct. 15th—19th. 47 th Nov. 12 th—l6th, 48th ..... Dec. 10th—14th. The Director of Recruiting issued instructions early in February that Second Division men, set down for the April draft, should be transferred to the May-June draft. This having been done, the strength of the May-June draft is now above requirements, and the following further transfers are to be made: — (1) All Second Division volunteers, now under orders to - arrive in camp at the end of May, will he transferred to the 42nd draft (new number), to arrive in camp on June 25th—29th. (2) All Second Division men drawn in the 13th ballot (Gazetted December 4th, 1917), and at present under orders to arrive in camp at the end of May, will be ■ transferred to the 42nd draft as above. (3) All Second Division men drawn, in the 14th and 15th ballots (Gazetted January 15th and February 19th respectively), and at present under orders to arrive in camp at the end of May, will be transferred to the 43rd draft (new number), to arrive in camp on July 23rd—27th. The 41st draft, tq be mobilised in the period May 28th —June Ist, will thus consist of. First Division hallotted men and volunteers (whether married or single) and 12th ballot Second Division men, who are at present under orders to arrive in camp at the end of May. Second Division men drawn in the 13th, 14th and 15th ballots, and classed Cl, if at present under orders to proceed to camp in June, are to be transferred to later Cl drafts as follows: 13th ballot men to the July Cl , ■ draft. 14th and 15th ballot men to the August Cl draft. One effect of these changes and transfers is to-meet an objection r/vised by the Second Division League,. that men drawn in the 14th ballot were being taken into camp at the same time as men drawn in the 13th ballot. The Defence authorities have not admitted that there was any real grievance on this, point, since the sole guarantee given is that every, balloted Second Division recruit will have twelve weeks’ leave between medical examination and-mobilisation. But they have met' the wishes of the League to a jarge extent. The new 41st draft was closed to recruiting as from February 26th. The June draft is now up to a sufficient strength, and, accordingly, was closed to recruiting ns from Thursday last.