TERRITORIAL FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 June 1939, Page 6

TERRITORIAL FORCES

ADDRESS BY CAPT WILLIAMS.

PROPOSAL TO FORM MASTERTON ASSOCIATION.

. “We deeply appreciate the generous help given by the Rotary Club in the past,” said Captain C. J. Williams, of the Hawke’s Bay Regiment, when speaking at yesterday’s Rotary Club luncheon. “I refer especially,” he said, “to the occasion of the presentation of new colours to the regiment some years ago. We appeal now for your help in a more important matter —that of building up units to the new establishments—and we are, well assured that we shall have your active cooperation.” Captain Williams stated also that it was intended to call a meeting in Masterton to form a Territorial Association here. Captain Williams went on to refer to the new establishment for the Territorial forces, stating that the response already to the appeal for additional men was very gratifying. The New Zealand forces were organised on a divisional basis, and the district from Featherston to Gisborne provided the Wellington-East Coast Mounted Rifles Regiment, the Hawke’s Bay Regiment and at Napier the Sixth Field Battery and Ambulance section. The Hawke’s Bay Regiment, with the Taranaki and Wellington West Coast regiments formed the Second Infantry Brigade, with the Wellington Regiment as a fortress battalion. The WairarapaBush area provided a squadron of the Mounted Rifles, C Company of the Hawke’s Bay Regiment, and a machine gun platoon. Captain Williams proceeded to refer in detail to the proposed organisation of the Hawke’s , Bay Regiment. Since June 3, forty recruits had come forward -in the Wairarapa, and no difficulty was expected in exceeding the establishment required. “In spite of repeated criticism,” said Captain Williams, “I should like to assert that the voluntary system has not failed. We are getting men who are keen and men of the right type though we should like to see more between the ages of 25 to 35 join up. The training is of a very high standard. Colonel Pattrick, C.O. of the Central Command, has declared that the standard of work is of a higher order than ever before,” Constant courses were being held at the district schools of instruction, said Captain Williams, and 28 men from the Wairarapa had attended courses since June 1. The days of the old parade ground had gone. All work done, after the initial recruits’ course, was in preparation for field training. The weekend and annual camps were taken up with exercises, night operations, attack and defence, etc., generally culminating in an elaborate and carefully planned exercise in which .several units participated. The training of officers and n.c.o.’s was of a very high standing. At all times there was a very keen spirit of co-operation. It was hoped in the very near future to convene a meeting in Masterton to form a Territorial Association to cooperate with the units. Already associations had been formed in several centres, and these bodies had done valuable work. Captain Williams appealed to Rotary Club members to encourage men to join the Territorials. Men between 25 and 35 were particularly wanted, who had had no previous training, and were therefore ineligible for the reserve. Captain Williams said the assistance of employers who had encouraged their men to join up and had made it possible for them to attend the annual camps and courses was much appreciated, and he appealed for a renewed and increased | effort in that direction.