ARMY ORGANISATION

Wairarapa Times-Age, 5 April 1939, Page 5

ARMY ORGANISATION

FURTHER MAJOR REFORM ANNOUNCED FORMATION OF ARMOURED CORPS. MECHANISED CAVALRY UNTS. (British Official Wireless.) (Received This Day, 11.12 a.m.) RUGBY, April 4. The Secretary of State for War, the Rt Hon L. Hore-Belisha informed the House of Commons that about 16,000 army reservists would be called up fpr training in the course of the present year. Mr Hore-Belisha announced in the House qf Commons a further major reform in army organisation, namely, the formation of a new corps to be designated the Royal Armoured Corps, with precedence in the Army immediately before the Royal Regiment of Artillery. Describing considerations leading to the decision, Mr Hore-Belisha explained that it involved rather an association between, than an amalgamation of the mechanised regiments of cavalry of the line with the Royal Tank Corps. The designation of Royal Tank Corps would be changed to the Royal Tank Regiment, and the King would become its colonel-in-chief. He also explained that to the Royal Armoured Corps will belong eight regiments of cavalry of the line, which already or are about to be mechanised, as well as all units of the Royal Tank Corps, both regulars and territorial army. In view of the decision to mechanise, further regiments of cavalry units except the First Royal Dragoons _ and Royal Scots Greys will be equipped with armoured vehicles analogous to those of units of the Royal Tank Corps.