WORLD WAR

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 October 1941, Page 5

WORLD WAR

NEW ZEALAND’S PART an impressive record. STRENGTH OF ARMED FORCES. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. To mark the end of the second year of war the Government has issued a booklet, entitled “New Zealand s War Effort—Two Years’ Achievements.” In a foreword the Prime Minister, .Mr Fraser, says, in part: “It is appropriate to sum up what New Zealand has contributed toward the common struggle for liberty and justice. The record is an impressive one. In the field of battle, in the skies, and on the seas, New Zealanders have given of their best. Here in New Zealand the wives and mothers, the workers, business, organisers, and producers of every calling in town and country have all added their efforts to those of the men in the armed services. The achievement in two years of war is indeed one which any nation could regard with justifiable pride.” Referring to manpower employed in the defence services the booklet records the statistical position thus:— Population of New Zealand .... 1,636,000 Men of military age 340,000 After two years of war the mobilisation of men and women for national service is as follows: — Active service overseas and in training 80,000 Home Defence not permanently mobilised (Home Guard, Territorials, and National Reserve ■■ 138,000 Civil defence units (Emergency Precautions Scheme and Women’s War Service Auxiliary) 95,000 Total 313,000 After two years of the war of 1914-18 the total number on active service overseas and in New Zealand was 65,000 Recruiting among Maoris is entirely voluntary and 4717 have enlisted — about 38 per cent of Maoris of military age. New Zealanders in naval service here and elsewhere number more than 4000—five times as many as at the outbreak of war. Nearly 3000 await entry into the Navy and nearly 1000 New Zealanders serve in the Royal Navy. Over 4300 New'Zealand airmen have gone overseas, including 500 who were in the Royal Air Force when the war broke out. New Zealand’s output under the Empire Air Training Scheme will provide annually 5000 airmen. Since the outbreak of war 33,000 men have applied to join the Air Force. The total number of New Zealanders in the Air Force is over 13,500. The present establishment of the Territorial Force is 35.500 of which strength one-sixth is called up for fulltime duty. Guards for vital points and the coast-watching service are provided by the National Military Reserve, mostly men who served in the war of 1914-18. The Home Guard has a membership of over 100,000. There are 80,000 people in E.P.S. organisations. There are 332 nurses in the New Zealand Army Nursing Service and 587 in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force. The Women’s War Service Auxiliary has a membership of about 15,000. More than 11,000 people are directly employed making munitions and military supplies. New Zealand factories have supplied 2,500,000 articles of army clothing. Waterside workers have reduced the time spent in New Zealand by overseas food ships from 36 days to 22 days—4o per cent quicker. Farmers are producing food and raw materials for Great Britain to the utmost limit of shipping space. Cheese graded for export increased from 81,000 tons to 119,000 tons in two years, or 46 per cent. The aim for this season is 160,000 tons. Butter exports increased in two years from 122,000 tons to 139,000 tons. Meat killings for export rose from 297,000 tons to 347,000 tons in the first year of the' war —an increase of 17 per cent. Wool production went up from 880,000 bales in 1940 to 940,000 in 1941.