EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1919, Page 7

EXPEDITIONARY FORCE.

ITS COMPOSITION AND GROWTH. REINFORCEMENT POLICY. OEFCIAL DETAIL& , Wellington, Feb. 17. In the official statement which his been prepared dealing with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force there are full notes showing the original composition of the Force when it left New Zealand for Egypt, and the history of the formation of new units in Egypt and France. One of these new units was of the utmost value on Gallipoli, the New Zealand Howitzer Battery, being the only battery on the Peuinsula at the commencement of this strenuous campaign.

There was a period of training in Egypt, after Gallipoli campaign, during which reinforcements already at sea arrived. On 2£th January, 1910, the Imperial Government suggested that it was passible to form a complete New Zealand Division. This was done in February from the reinforcements sent from New Zealand for service on Gallipoli, but which had accumulated owing to the sudden termination of the campaign. When this reorganisation was carried out, the following additional newunits were raised in Egypt from the personnel existing, and the reinforcements: —

Divisional Engineers, Nos. 2 and 3 Companies. Divisional Artillery, 2nd and 3rd Field Artillery Brigades, consisting cf eight batteries each of four 18-pounder guns. 1 Battery of three 4.5 Howitzers. Ist F.A. Brigade increased by one Buttery. 2nd New Zealand Infantry Brigade Headquarters, 4 Battalions. Pioneer Battalion. Divisional Transport and Supply units: 1 Workshop (A.S.C.) for ambulance cars, 1 Field Bakery, 1 Field Butchery, 5 Depot units of Supply. Divisional Medical Units: 1 Field Ambulance, 1 Sanitary Section. This completion of a New Zealand Division marked a moit important step for the Dominion. Up till that time New Zealand and Australia had provided a composite Division. A Division is tbi unit in the field, and its composition by New Zealanders alone afforded the great advantage of simplified organisation, administration and control. New Zealand was able to make decisions in regard to her Division without the necessity of consultation with others.

In January 1918, British Divisions were reduced from twelve to nine battalions of infantry each. Owing to there being a sufficient supply of reinforcements in hand this reduction was not brought into force in regard to the New Zealand Division, which accordingly became the strongest Division in the Allied armies until ,the conclusion of the armistice. THE FOURTH BRIGADE. As there was a good deal of controversy over the formation of the new (4th) Infantry Brigade the official note on the point is worth reproducing. It reads: "In March, 1917, at the urgent request of the Imperial Government, a new (4th) Infantry Brigade (with an establishment of 173 officers, 4(304 other ranks) was formed in the United Kingdom from reinforcements, on the distinct understanding that its formation would not involve additional reinforcements being provided. The .crsonnel of this brigade to be utilised as reinforcements for the New Zealand Division if required. This brigade was in February, IDIS, absorbed into reinforcements."

A proposal for a Tank Battalion wiis made, but not carried into effect, the note on this subject stating:—"On sth April, 1918, the Imperial Government requested that a Tank Battalion be formed from New Zealand reinforcements in the United Kingdom. The New Zealand Government agreed to this, also to despatch 600 additional reinforcements in the ensuing four months to replace the personnel taken to form the unit. This proposal involved the sending of 39 additional other ranks per four weekly drafts (i.e., 7 per cent per month). On June 29th, 1918, advice was received from London that the formation of the Tank Battalion was not to be proceeded with. Subsequenly the question was again raised, but definite action had not been taken prior to the signing of the Armistice." RATE OF REINFORCEMENTS. The agreement originally made with the Imperial Government for reinforcing' thee "Expeditionary Force had to be varied, as a result of three months' war experienpe, the infantry and mounted rifle reinforcements suggested on 10th November, 1914, .being 25 per, cent of the establishment .per month. To meet this increased demand " arrangements were- put in hand to prepare a draft of approximately. 3,000 every two months. : .Qn the ' .Bth.December, .1914, the Imperial Government notified that reinmight be calculated' as follows:—■

Mounted Rifles, 10 per cent of. establishment per month. Infantry, 15 por cent of establishment per month. Other as laid down in Field Service Regulations, Part 11, section 28.

This rate of reinforcement continued until June, 1915, when, in view of the heavy casualties suffered by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles which were fighting as infantry on Gallipoli, . the New Zealand Government offered to bring the reinforcements for this arm from 10 to 15 per cent of establishment as'from the beginning of the war, find to continue "reinforcements at the infantry rate of 15 per cent monthly while tlie Mounted Rifles were''being used as infantry. The arrears of reinforcement on this'basis \veie despatched with the !)th Reinforcements. In September, i!)ln, the war" situation became cloudy, and the Imperial Government made a request for the acceleration of the drafts. This was done, drafts being despatched at intervals of one month instead of two months and the reinforcement policy for the year 1918 was settled soon afterwards on the following basis:— Mounted Rifles, 20 per cent, of establishment per month; artillery (gunners i only), 20 per cent of establishment per month; engineers and signal service, 20 per cent of establishment per month; infantry, 20 per cent of establishment per month; other arms, 7 per cent of establishment per month. The New Zealand Government immediately made arrangements accordingly to supply reinforcements on this basis, commencing with the 10th reinforcements, sailing in iMarch, 1616, and to maintain » rwerve

of 10 per cent mounted rifles and infantry in the Dominion. On February 11th, 1910, the Imperial Government notified that monthly reinforcements on the following basiß would suffice: Mounted rifles, 0 per cent; artillery, 3 per cent; engineers and signal service, 4 per cent; infantry 15 per cent. This took effect from the 15th Reinforcements, which sailed in July, 1916. THE 1917 REINFORCEMENTS. __ On 17th July, 1917, the New Zealand Government asked the Imperial Government if, i n view of experience gained with active warfare from March,' 1910, to date, the Imperial uthoritiea considered the per cenlage as agreed upon in March, 1910, should be maintained or modified in any way On 4th August the Imperial authorities replied asking that reinforcements be sent in future as under: Mounted Rifles 0 per cent, per month; field artillery 3 per cent, per month; field engineers 3 per cent per months; tunnelling company 10 per cent per month; divisional signallers 3 per cent per month; infantry 12 per cent, per month; army service corps 2$ per cent per month; medical corps (New Zealand Division) 4 per cent per month; veterinary corps 1 l-12th per month; postal corps 1 l-12th per month; wireless troop 20 per cent, per month This entailed a reduction in engineers and signallers from 4 per cent, to 3 per cent, per month, and infantry from 15 per cent, to 12 per cent per month. To this the New Zealand Government agreed, the new per centages to take effect from the 30th Reinforcements onwards.

The furlough scheme for long service men was first proposed in August. 1917, when the New Zealand Government decided that members of the Main Body and reinforcementa who had three years' service l>» returned to New Zealand on furlough; the period away from the front be as follows: two months voyage to New Zealand, two months furlough in New Zealand, and two months return voyage. Those who did not wish to return to New Zealand he granted two months furlough in United Kingdom or South of France. The New Zealand Government undertook to provide sufficient extra reinforcements to permit of this arrangement being carired out. The Imperial Government concurred. The above arrangement was to he operative in the case of troops serving in Egypt and Mesopotamia. Owing to the grave difficulties arising, however, adds the official record the scheme was subsequently abandoned at the request of the Imperial Government. We come now to a period of reduced reinforcements (November, 1017), when the infantry came down to 831 per draft instead of 1266, equal to a reduction from 10 to 6J per cent. This reduction was rendered possible by carrying out the plan agreed upon when the 4th Infantry Brigade was formed, that it should be used as reinforcements, VARIATIONS m 1918. The reduced reinforcement arrangements continued until April 6, 1918, when owing to the critical situation in Europe and at the request of the Imperial Government, it was decided to double the strength of the Infantry reinforcements (i.e. from 800 to 1600 per draft), for five drafts, 36th to 40th reinforcements inclusive.

On July 29, 1918, owing to the casualties having been much less than estimated and to accumulation of reinforcements in the United Kingdom, it was decided to revert to foi:r-weeklv drafts of 800 infantry (with 31 for' Tunnelling Company reinforcements and 19 in lieu of Army Service Corps reinforcements) from August inclusive. Approval was given by the War Office in May, 1918, to temporarily reduce Mounted Rifle drafts 50 per cent, while large numbers of rein.foreements were available in Egypt. THE SAMOAN FORCE. During the second week of August, 1914, the Samoan Expeditionary Force of .1420 sailed from Wellington and peacefully occupied that German territory. In December, 1914, in consequence of the destruction of the German fleet in the Pacific it was decided by the Imperial Government that the garrison could be reduced, and it was relieved in March, 1915, by 13 officers and 345 other ranks, comprising men over the age limit for active service. A further reduction to 200 was made in December, 1915, and at the date of the armistice the garrison comprised administrative staff, 7.1 Mounted Rifles, 17 machine gun section, 13 cyclist section, 94 infantry, 10 military police (infantry), and three ambulance corps men. MAORI EXPEDITIONARY FORCE Septepmber 1, 1914, the New Zealand Government, instigated by representatives of the Maori race, offered to the Imperial Government a Maori Force strength GOO. It, was proposed to send half this force to Samoa and half to Egypt for garrison duty This offer was accepted, and Maoris concentrated at Auckland in October, 1914. In consequence of representations from the leaders of the Maori race that the Maori Force should not be divided, <t was decided in October, 1.914. with the wjsent of the Imperial Government, no send the whole of the Maoris to Egypt in May, 1915, the Imperial Government notified New Zealand that the Maori contingent was sufficiently trained to proceed on active Bervics. Accordingly the. Maor* troops, in July 1915, joined tnt JSew Zea land Expeditionary Force & G&llipon Tht> subsequent Maori contingents wen. sent as reinforcements to tht Isl Maori Contingent Fifty RarotDnghJis *&6. i4B Nuie Islanders >vere included a tno '.bird contingent.

Upon the reorganisation or the JNew Zealand Expeditionary Force into,a "division m January, 191 H, the Maori troops were utilised (.o form the Piocee? Battalion, Maori reinforcements being included in' ttib reinforcements to this-unit.

Other special arms raised by New;Zeaknd included the New-Zealand 1 Engineer Tunnelling Company consisting of 18 of fleers and 55 othes ranks. These dnitii were kept fully relntorcw! k n.a iiircunj stances required. -