WOMEN IN ARMED FORCES

Southland Times, Issue 24831, 25 August 1942, Page 4

WOMEN IN ARMED FORCES

Single Recruiting Agency (P.A.) WELLINGTON, Aug. 24 Commenting on a suggestion that each service should conduct its own recruiting campaign for women, the Minister of National Service, the Hon. W. J. Broadfoot, said the main objection to such a course, lay chiefly in the fact that the employment of women in the armed forces was not merely an individual problem of the respective services, but one of national concern, and from the Government’s point of view must be considered on that basis. The Minister added that if women were required for the armed forces it was the Government’s duty to see that they were obtained according to the requirements of the respective services. To have three bodies recruiting independently and competing for the services of the same persons was undesirable in any circumstances, particularly when the relative numerical requirements of the services varied to a marked degree. j Mr Broadfoot proceeded to outline the functions of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary which, he said, acted as a preliminary clearing-house for all applications. “Profiting from the experience gained during the voluntary enlistment of men,” the Minister continued, “the Government has sought to ensure that women recruits are utilized on a sound, economic basis, that they will be withdrawn from industry only to the extent of the requirements of the services, and that they will be employed on duties suitable to their training, skill and qualifications.” ENLISTMENT CONDITIONS The responsibility of the Women’s Armed Forces Personnel Board, which comprised a representative of each of the three services and of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary, was to ensure that while individual preference would be given consideration, the allocation of personnel between the three services would be in accordance with the requirements. Referring to the enlistment conditions, that women must be prepared to serve for the duration of the war and 12 months thereafter, unless discharged, the Minister said that if a woman enlisted and her domestic circumstances or arrangements changed in a manner which would justify her discharge, the services would favourably consider the granting of her release. This would apply particularly to the wives of soldiers who were serving overseas. If their husbands returned from overseas no difficulty would be placed in the way of those women obtaining discharges. As far as the question of serving in any part pf New Zealand was concerned, the Minister concluded, it was the policy of the three services, if it could possibly be arranged, to post women to duties as near as possible to their places of residence. This did not imply that a woman might live at home, but if she were not living at home she would normally be housed in barracks or some other suitable accommodation provided by the respective services.