SURPLUS OFFICERS

Taihape Daily Times, 5 December 1917, Page 4

SURPLUS OFFICERS

TOO MANY IN OAMP.

During the first half the present year Defence Headquarters informed territorial officers who were nsllabers of the First Division, and who had not yet joined the Expeditionary Force, that they must either enter camp on certain dates or lose their commissions. The order was subject,, of course, to the officers being passed, as medically fit for active service. In. the event of their losing their commissions they would go into camp as privates when called in the ballot, and would take their chance of promotion, with the rest of the balloted men. Accordingly more than 60 of these officers went to camp in July and August, and posted to an Officers’ Training Corps. The announcement made at the time -was that after a period of training about one-third of them would be given commissioned rank with reinforcements, and the others would revert to non-commis-sioned rank.

The calling up of these First'Division territorial officers has been one factor in producing a surplus of officers in the training camps. After The available commissions had been allotted many of the remaining officers did not revert to non-commissioned rank, and it is stated freely in the camps that the reason was their refusal to wear the stripes. They contend that as they had not committed any military offence they were entitled legally to retain their commissions, and it appears that they could not be forced to accept lower rank. Most of these men at the present time are on leave with full pay until January. There are cases of territorial officers, who, in these circumstances, have retained the rank of captain, and so are senior to lieutenants who have won their commissions at the front and have been sent back for duty with reinforcement drafts.

The reduction of the reinforcement quotas has been another factor in producing the surplus of officers. The Defence authorities have to make their arrangements for the officering of drafts well in advance of mobilisation, and consequently there were batches of officers in hand when the order for the reduction came. The trouble will be accentuated by the breaking up of the Fourth Brigade for the reinforcement of the New Zealand Division. The Fourth Brigade has its officers, who will be used to cover wastage in the conimissimed ranks of the division and in the meantime there will, be a further reduction of reinforcements from New Zealand and a decreased demand for officers at this end. The drafts of officers sent back for reinforcement duty have been arrknged well in advance, and it appears that there will be a surplus of officers here for a long time to come. The nien at present in the N.C.O. class have been given to understand that they have practically no chance of getting commissions.