TANK BRIGADE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 August 1941, Page 5

TANK BRIGADE

AND ARMOURED VEHICLE SCHOOL ESTABLISHMENT DECIDED UPON. ANNOUNCEMENT BY DEFENCE MINISTER. (Bv Telegraph—Press Association.) « ’WELLINGTON. This Day. The formation in New Zealand of tin Army Tank ' Brigade, and oilier important developments as pari of the general reorganisation of the Dominion’s land forces were announced last night by the Minister of Defence. Mr Joni's. The Minister stated that an armoured fighting vehicle school and a command and staff school would be established at Waiouru, that some Territory ial units were to be reorganised into light armoured fighting vehicle regiments. and that experienced officers and non-commissioned officers of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force were being brought back from overseas to act as instructors. "The Government has decided to strengthen the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force by the formation of an Army Tank Brigade to be raised and trained in New Zealand." said the Minister. The instructional staff, most of whom will be experienced officers and non-commissioned officers of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force itself and the necessary equipment will shortly bo available. "The necessary personnel’ to form the brigade will commence training at an early date, and on joining the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force will undergo a further course of advanced training. “There will also'be established in New Zealand an Armoured Fighting Vehicle School. This will be situated at the Waiouru military camp, and again the instructional staff will largely consist, of experienced officers and non-commissioned officers from the Second N.Z.E.F. The first function of this school will be to train the officers and non-commissioned officers necessary for the Army tank brigade. It will then train officers and non-com-missioned officers of the Territorial Force for certain Territorial Force units which are to be reorganised into light armoured fighting vehicle regiments.

“In order to provide officers in New Zealand with higher training in modern methods of warfare, there will also be established at Waiouru a command and staff school," he continued. “The senior staff of this school will include officers from the 2nd N.Z.E.F., who have had experience of recent fighting.

“In addition to the officers and noncommissioned officer instructors being brought back from the N.Z.E.F., certain other officers are being obtained on loan from the War Office. These officers will fill special appointments and. help to establish the armoured fighting vehicle school and the command. and stall school. Three of them will be officers from the Royal Armoured. Corps, who will be specially valuable in instituting training with armoured fighting vehicles. All these proposals are in accordance with the general scheme for the reorganisation of. the land forces which is being completed by the Military Adviser. General Sir Guy Williams, K.C.8., C.M.G., D. 5.0.”