HOME GUARD SERVICE

Southland Times, Issue 24883, 24 October 1942, Page 5

HOME GUARD SERVICE

Sacrifice Of Needed Rest (Special) AUCKLAND, October 23. In the defence system of the Dominion the Home Guard is occupying a place, in importance far beyond the initial ideas of the public, and, indeed, of the original expectations of many of the officers commanding its units. Destructive criticism is, unfortunately, the habit of a section of the community and the Home Guard has shared in it. However, it is now generally recognized that the Home Guard is doing a sound job of part-time soldiering based on a system of training that gives real military stature to the force. But it is questionable whether this recognition means that there is general realization of the demand Home Guard service makes upon the energies of many of its members who on Saturdays or Sundays “knock off work to carry bricks.” STARTING TIRED A retired business man in a suburban Home Guard unit who discussed the subject said that for him and many others, including 40-hour a week men, Sunday training was almost a recreation. It gave them needed exercise and fresh air, and they benefited because they did not start tired. For many others who did start tired the week-end training was a real strain. In his company were numbers of men engaged in essential industries, which mean that they worked at least 48 hours a week and always up to 5 p.m. on Saturdays. Often they worked 52 and sometimes 60 hours. Yet at 9 o’clock on Sunday mornings they turned out with good heart. Sometimes through the aid of local unpaid transport they were transported to the point of their operations, where they carried out field exercises with very brief and strictly regulated spells. Other times they marched. RECOGNITION WANTED “I do not suggest that they should not do this training,” he said. “It is up to every one of us to fit himself as best he can for the possible day of ordeal. But the public should realize that many of the Home Guardsmen training on Sundays are fairly tired men before they begin, and, counting the time they spend in essential service as well as their Home Guard training time, which usually includes one evening a week, they do more timeservice than soldiers within the country.

“If I suggested that for their training time they should be paid at least half soldiers’ rates I probably would be met with the reply that in essential industry they earn much more than a soldier. So I will not say anything on that score. The first Home Guard essential is due public recognition for service that amounts to real sacrifice by many.” DAIRY FARMERS’ TRAINING

“In my district,” said a country Home Guard member, “most of the rural units are filled by dairy farmers, and it has been arranged that they carry out their training between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturdays. With milking shed duty before and afterward, I think that it will be agreed that these men are doing a defence service that is deserving of recognition.”

“But,” said a Home Guard officer, “when we think of the boys in Egypt, of the sailors and airmen, of all sections of the home defence force, and of the surprising number who do not seem to give any service at all, we had better banish the equality of sacrifice idea.”