TERRITORIAL FORCE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 23 May 1941, Page 6

TERRITORIAL FORCE

EQUIPMENT WITH MODERN WEAPONS AS QUICKLY AS THESE ,CAN BE OBTAINED. MECHANISATION PLANS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH. This Day. “The New Zealand Territorial Force is to be equipped with the most modern weapons available as quickly as these can be obtained, and mechanisation is to be carried on, in conformity with latest demands of warfare.” These were the words of the Chief of the General Staff, Major-General Sir John Duigan, during an interview today, when he said his successor, Sir Guy Williams, would not be taking over an unorganised Territorial force. General Duigan will retire from his command on May 31 and intends to visit Australia for a holiday. His present visit to Christchurch is the last he will pay in his official capacity and he said he made the trip to thank the staff of the Southern Military District, both permanent and temporary, for the excellent work they had done. They had worked long hours and since the outbreak of war holidays had been out of the question for them. At the outset 50 per cent of the staff officers had to be released for service overseas and their places had been taken by Territorial officers and officers from the reserve, who had come back into the service and on the whole had done excellent work. The expansion of the Territorial Force from 16.000 to 45,000 had been completed and all senior officers had gained experience in the moving of motorised troops and through manoeuvres, which had been made as realistic as possible, had learned something of the latest methods of engaging and fighting an enemy. Clothing and equipping of the forces and the supply of modern had been constantly under review, including the question of the mechanisation of the whole army as fast as possible with the latest types of weapons and other equipment available.