WAR TROPHIES.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLI, Issue 1974, 8 May 1919, Page 2

WAR TROPHIES.

TILE METHOD OF DISTRIBUTION. Wellington, This Day. Many applications have been received by (lie Minister of Defence From local bodies and private individuals throughout the Dominion for war trophies, and as there is evidently some misunderstanding regarding the system of distribution, the Defence Department has issued the .following statement of the principles governing Ific mailer:— Trophies captured by units, in the first instance, be handed over to the Imperial authorities. Each unit subsequently submits claims for all articles captured, such claims being dealt with by a special committee, which in due course allots the trophies to the various units. Each regiment or territorial area in New Zealand embraces one to live of the principal towns in the particular area. Thus Auckland City is the territorial area of the 3rd (Auckland)' Regiment, and Ist Battalion of N.Z. Rifle Brigade; Wellington City the headquarters of the sth (Wellington) Regiment, and 2nd Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade; Christchurch City the Ist (Canterbury) Regiment and 3rd Battalion N.Z. Riilo Brigade; Dunedin City the 4th (Otygo) Regiment and 4th Battalion N.Z. Rifle Brigade. Similarly, provincially, the Territorial Regimental Area of the 15th (North Auckland) Regiment embraces Wrangarei, Dargaville, Helen,sville, and Kolutkului; the 7th (Wellington and West Coast) Regiment embraces Wanganui, Marlon, Palmerston North and Feilding; (he 13(h (Nelson and West Coast) Regiment, Rangiora, Kaiapoi, Hokitika, Dim(room ,

On the formation of Expeditionary Force units, each battalion of infantry was composed of four companies, one company being drawn from each territorial area. Each regiment of Mounted Rides was similarly constituted by squadrons drawn from Mounted Rifle territorial areas. It is, therefore, but natural that the personnel of each unit in the field and their relatives in New Zealand are concerned that trophies captured by each unit should be distributed to their own territorial areas throughout the Dominion.

The-principle governing- {lie distribution of war trophies in l!ic Dominion is, therefore, flint all trophies captured by tho troops arc issued in the first place to the towns iu wjiich (he headquarters of the units which captured then are situate. Headquarters of units have been instructed that trophies so issued are not to be considered the exclusive property of the respective regi-. mental areas, and that the claims of other towns in those areas must receive consideration. With this end in view, otlieers commanding units have been instructed'to confer with the Mayors of towns in which their headquarters are situate, requesting- them in turn to communicate with the Mayors of other towns in their areas with a view to forming committees to deal with the distribution of the trophies on ap equitable basis. •- Thus it will be seep that applications for war trophies should not be made to the Hon. the Minister of Defence, but to the Mayors of the town.-, in which the headquarters of units are situate,;, W .