MEN FOR SERVICE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 December 1940, Page 6

MEN FOR SERVICE

FIFTH REINFORCEMENTS GOING INTO CAMP NEXT month. GREATER PROPORTION VOLUNTEERS. IBy Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The first batch of men from the ballot for overseas service will enter the mobilisation camps in January as part of the Fifth Reinforcements. At the moment, it appears that the Southern and Central military districts will be able to- fill their Fifth Reinforcements quotas entirely from volunteers, but in the Northern ’ district a small shortage will have to be made up. This will be done, if necessary, partly by a redistribution of quotas and partly by drawing on balloted men. Not all the men so drawn will be taken from the Northern district, because they will probably include a number of balloted men from other parts of New Zealand who have asked to be sent into camp as possible. The Fifth Reinforcements quotas for the three military districts are approximately the same —about 2,250 in each case. The extent to which balloted men will be drawn on depends on the number of men that becomes available by reason of the remedial treatment of volunteers previously classed as. temporarily unfit and also on the release of men. previously held back by the Man Power organisation.

The concentration of the Fifth Reinforcements will coincide with the concentration of the first group of Territorial units called up for three months’ continuous training in the New Year.