MAORI BATTALION
RECRUITING TO CONTINUE. SELECTION AND TRAINING OF OFFICERS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Arrangements for the selection of officers and non-commissioned officers for the Maori Battalion were explained last night by the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. He said that by the end of October the registrations for the battalion had reached the gratifying total of 963—626 from the Northern Military District, 318 from the Central Military District, and 19 from the Southern Military District. “To ensure that there will be an ample number of recruits available to complete the battalion and its early reinforcements, and to give a large number of shearers and other seasonal workers the opportunity of answering the call to arms,” said Mr Jones, “it has been decided that recruiting is to continue till further notice, and that the main body of the battalion will not go into camp till about January next. It. is essential that there should be a sufficient number of well-trained officers and n.c.o.’s available to undertake the training of the battalion when it is formed It has been found
that by restricting enlistment to single men a number of promising candidates for commissioned and non-commission-ed rank have been debarred from enlisting, so it has been decided to open recruiting to married men with not more than two children, but- these men must be between the ages of 21 and 35 inclusive.
Mr Jones said there were about 50 Maoris in camp with the special military force who had signified their desire to join the Maori Battalion. It was hoped that 100 prospective officers and n.c.o.’s would be secured for training at the Army School at Trentham. They would commence a special course of instruction on November 25. Other officers and n.c.o.’s would be selected when the main body went into camp.
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Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 November 1939, Page 7
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305MAORI BATTALION Wairarapa Times-Age, 14 November 1939, Page 7
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