WAR STRENGTH

Wairarapa Times-Age, 30 July 1941, Page 5

WAR STRENGTH

TRAINING AND SERVICE OF NEW ZEALANDERS

DEFENCE MINISTER'S REVIEW.

ORGANISATION AT HOME

& ABROAD

(By Telegraph-Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day.

The total number of men in New Zealand who have received at least three months’ training since the outbreak of war was given as more than 73,000 by the Minister of Defence, 31r Jones, when he gave a review of the Army defence of the Dominion and the Army overseas in the .House of Representatives last night. Those trained included both the Expeditionary Force and the Territorial Force. More than 7000 National Reservists had also received training and courses of instruction, for officers and npn-commissioned officers had been provided for 6864 officers and other ranks at Army schools. “Major-General Freyberg came to New Zealand to discuss with the Chief of the General Staff the question of training here," Mr Jones said. "That training extends for three months. It is only preliminary training, and when the men go to the Middle East they complete their training. The men who fought in Libya, Greece and Crete made a name for themselves, and they could not have done that unless they were well trained. The splendid fighting qualities of the New Zealanders in those engagements stirred the world, and we do appreciate the splendid work done by our boys overseas.” COASTAL & ISLAND DEFENCE. Coast defences had been very considerably increased since the war began, Mr Jones said. It was not advisable to quote total figures, but when he told members that in Nev; Zealand and in the islands for which we had accepted responsibility 21 additional guns of various calibres had been installed, they would realise what great steps had been taken. A corresponding increase had been made in the number of searchlights installed. Before the war, New Zealand undertook certain responsibilities in the Pacific and the action agreed upon had been taken in all cases. Certain arms and equipment to Pacific Islands and also to Free French islands had been provided. The steps taken to protect the Dominion’s front line were justified by what they had seen in the last few months. The Colonial Ammunition Company had been able to increase its production of small arms ammunition very materially in the last few months. The rate of production, besides providing for requirements for training, was enabling war reserves to be built up at a more satisfactory rate. Since the war began,- more than 6,500,000 rounds had been supplied to the Expeditionary Force, and about 3.500,000 rounds to the home defence forces for training. The war reserves of gun ammunition had been considerably increased, and, though not yet as high as the Government would like, they were much more satisfactory than 12 months ago. SUPPLIES FROM OVERSEAS. . Discussing war equipment, the Minister said recent supplies from the United Kingdom and India brought the field artillery almost up to war establishment. Many of the guns were of an old pattern, but they were still in use all over the Empire. Newer types were coming to hand slowly. The full war establishment of medium machineguns for the Territorial Force was now in the country. Further supplies expected in the near future would be available for arming the Home Guard. There was still . a shortage of light automatics, but the position was improving steadily. More than 1800 machine-guns of various types had been, added recently to stocks. “Every possible step is being taken to provide locally certain items of munition supply. The first locallyconstructed Bren carriers are now in use for training, and the first threeinch mortars are about to be handed over to the Army. In addition, hand grenades, mortar bombs, mess tins, water bottles and charger clips are being manufactured in New Zealand." Good progress in the establishment of petrol reserves for the Army was reported by Mr Jones. Dealing with reserves of rations, he said the Army in war was provisioned normally from ordinary civilian resources. Reserves were, however, established against the possibility of interruption of communications. A 14 days’ ‘reserve of preserevd rations, as well as the usual iron or reserve ration for all home defence troops, had been provided and stored. CLOTHING THE ARMY. More than 2.500,000 articles of army clothing had been manufactured in New Zealand since the war. The number included 142,000 battle dress blouses, 144,000 battle dress trousers, 84,000 great coats, 44.000 service dress jackets, 93.000 service dress trousers,. 920,000 pair of socks, 324,000 vests, 306,000 shorts. In addition, more than 400,000 pairs of boots and 1.800,000 yards of material had been produced locally. Besides providing for its own needs, New Zealand had assisted the Empire war effort by dispatching 29,000 sets of battle dress to India, and over the next 12 months it would send 100,,000 suits of battle dress to England. POSSIBLE CHANGES. ‘‘.There may be changes as a result of the visit of’ Sir Guy Williams, but the present classes being drawn for the Territorial Force have brought the force up to field establishments.’’ the minister said. Base Records staff was performing a splendid service. Nearly 2000 letters were received every day, and more than 20,000 telegrams had been dispatched this year, more than half the number concerning casualty advices. Approximately 1.000,000 warrants of cash payments to sol-, diers’ dependants or deposits to soldiers’ savings bank accounts were sent in a year. After Mr Jones had been put off the air while giving some military figures, he said he had been anxious to give the people of New Zealand more than an idea of the war effort. He felt that; the Government had been suffering to I some extent by the fact that it could) not give all the information. “Wheni they read reports of what Australia is doing, the people feel that Australia | and other parts are doing more than

this country in connection with the war. Personally, I think we are doing as much as, if not more than, other countries.”