THE REINFORCEMENT DRAFTS

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1918, Page 2

THE REINFORCEMENT DRAFTS

. A CHANGE MADE. A further change has been made in the numbering of reinforcement drafts. The recruiting authorities have been advised that, owing to training requirements, it will not now be necessary to find a draft at the end of April. This draft was to have been made up in the camps, but it will now lapse. The 40th Reinforcements will be mobilised next week, and the 41st Reinforcements at the end of May. Subsequent drafts will require to be renumbered accordingly, and the new numbers and dates of concentration, are as follows: 40th Reinforcements—April 3-0. 41st Reinforcements—May 28 : June 1. 42nd Reinforcements-June 25-29. 43rd Reinforcements—July. 23-27. 44th 'Reinforcements—August 20-24. 45th Reinforcements—September 17-21. 4fith 47th Reinforcements —November 12-10. 48th Reinforcements —December 10-14. The Director of Recruiting issued instructions early in February that Second Division men set down for the April draft should be transferred to the MayJune draft. This having been done, the strength of the May-Juneidraft is now above the requirements, and the following further transfers are to be. made: (1) All Second Division volunteers now under orders to arrive in camp at the end of May will be transferred to the 42nd draft (new number) to arrive in camp on June 25-29. (2) All Second Division men drawn in the l.'lth ballot (gnzetted December 4, 1917), and at present under orders to arrive in camp at the end of May, will be transferred to the 42nd draft as above. (3) All Second Division men drawn! in the 14th and 15th ballots (gazetted January 15 and February 10 respectively), and at present under orders to arrive in camp at the end of May, Will be transferred to the 43rd draft (new number), to arrive in camp on July I 23-27. The 41st draft, to be mobilised in the period May 28-June 1, will thus consist of First Division ballotted men and, volunteers (whether married or single) and 12th ballot Second Division men who are at present under orders to arrive in camp at the end of May. Second Division men drawn in the 13th, 14th and 15th ballots, and classed 01, if at present under orders to proceed to camp in June, are to be transferred to later CI drafts as follows: 13th ballot men to the July CI draft. 14th.and 15th ballot men to the August CI draft. One effect of these changes and transfers is to meet an objection raised by i the Second Division League, that men drawn in the 14th ballot were being taken into camp at the same time as men drawn in the 13th ballot. The Defence authorities have not admitted that there was any real grievance on this point, since the sole guarantee given is that every ballotted Second Division recruit will have twelve weeks' leave between medical examination and mobilisation. But they have met the wishes of the League to a large extent. The new 41st draft was closed to recruiting as from February 2(i. The June draft is now up-to a sufficient strength, I and, accordingly, was closed to recruiting as from Thursday last.