DWINDLING RAPIDLY.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 March 1919, Page 5

DWINDLING RAPIDLY.

NEW ZEALAND DIVISION IN GERMANY. (Special Dispatch from the Official War Correspondent with the N.Z.E.F.) France, March 4. Demobilisation proceeds apace- The disbandmcut of the following unite has been completed:—First, (Second, and Tbird Brigade Headquarters; Divisional Ainmunitaou Column; Brigade Ammunition Column; Jios. 2 and 3 Field Companies; Nos. Jl and 3 Companies, Divisional Traiu; Nos. 1 and 3 Field Ambulance; Mobile Veterinary Section; Nos. 1, 2, and 3 Light Trench Mortar Batteries; Artillery Brigade. Signal Sections. The following are tlie units now remaining:—Divisional Headquarters; Signal Company; Headquarters Engineers; No. 1 Field Company; Headquarters Divisional Train; Headquarters Company an-1 No. 2 Company, Divisional Train; No. 2 Field Ambulance; one company of Machine-Gun Battalion; North Island Battalion (Lieut.-Colouel Turnbull); South Island Battalion (Liout.. Colonel Stitt); Rifle Brigade Battalion (Lieut.-Colonel Jardine); Artillery Cadets. Two hundred of the artillery remaining are at Tentz, opposite Co'logne, and the rest of the Division i 3 now concentrated at Mulheim, a fow miles farther north. All are comfortably quartered, mostly in German houses. All tho animals, excepting a few awaiting shipment to New Zealand, have hem disposed of. Three thousand were sent to Dieppe and Rouen for shipment to England; 200 wore evacuated sick, and 350 were killed locally for meat. Permission was obtained for ihe men accompanying the animals to the has? to be demobilised there, by which means (300 of all ranks were cleared. Practically all vehicles, harness, saddlery, and ordnance equipment hare already been handed in in good order. To-day another draft heads for home, reducing the strength below three thousand. The remaining artillery will leave on March 18, and the draft on March ?5 should see us practically all clear from Curmany, The Artillery r,nd Rifle Brigade Bands are still with us, the others having been dispatched. Immobilisation from the end has proceeded emoothly, and lite contract of tho troops during the occupation of German territory has been good. There have been very few complaints, and these were not of a serious nature Most of the equipment purchased in England for the recreational scheme has been disposed of; the remainder will !be purchased by the Y.MC.A The soda-water plant and other oddments i;«vc been sold. The historic printing-press, which has done much excellent work both in the battle zone and in Germany, will be retained for the War Museum.