ENLISTMENT, BADGES

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 156, 1 June 1940, Page 9

ENLISTMENT, BADGES

VOLUNTEERS DESIGNATED. CONDITIONS ANNOUNCED. Per Press Association. WELLINGTON, Alay 31. Emergency regulations to authorise the issue of a special enlistment badge to persons volunteering for service in the armed forces have been published in the Gazette to-night, said the Minister of Defence (Hon. F. Jones) in a statement. The regulations provide that a badge may be issued to men who : (1) Have been honourably discharged from His Majesty’s Naval or Air Forces or the Second N.Z.E.F. (2) Volunteered, for service in His Majesty’s Naval or Air Force or Second N.Z.E.F. and have been accepted ‘or provisionally accepted, but whose service has not commenced or been temporarily suspended. (3)' Volunteered for service and have

been- rejected because they are not up to the medical standard of fitness required. Only men within the age categories laid down for each service and who are not suffering some obvious physical or mental defect will be considered as qualified to receive the badge. At all times the badges remain the property of the Crown and must be returned at the, expiry of the period noted in the certificates, or if no such time is notified then on the death of the holder or when notification of recall is received from the issuing authority. The design of the badge, which will lie a Crown copyright, consists of a V symbolic of the fact that a man has volunteered. Through this a fern leaf is interwoven and the V is surmounted by a crown. The badge will be worn in the lapel of the. coat. With every badge a certificate will be issued which must, be carried at all times

when a man is wearing his badge. A police officer or officer of the Naval. Alilitary or Air Forces in uniform will be entitled to ask the .badge-wearer to produce his certificate, and all badges and certificate will bear corresponding numbers. Severe penalties are provided for the unlawful wearing or illegal manufacture, or sale, or possession of tlie badges, on which a most careful check will be kept. “Already there are many men qualified to wear the badge.” said the Alin- I ister, “and requests for them should

be made to the Army, Navy, or Air Force authorities concerned. The badsres will not be issued to those medically rejected for either flying or non-flving sections of the Air Force I who are eligible for service with the I Second Expeditionary Force. I “As supplies of badges come to I hand,” said Air Jones, “arrangements I have been made to issue every man I with ■ a badge at once, and I would. I therefore, appeal to the men to be I patient. I am sure the badge will be I welcomed by volunteers and the public I alike, and will Ik- recognised as an I earnest of.the fact that the man wear- I ing it has offered himself in the service I of his country,” 1