MILITARY FORCES

Wairarapa Times-Age, 4 February 1942, Page 2

MILITARY FORCES

LEAVE AND FURLOUGH LIBERAL ARRANGEMENTS. ANNOUNCEMENT BY MINISTER. 4 (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. The Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, in a statement, announced the following leave privileges for members of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Dominion, Territorial Force, National Military Reserve and Guards, Vital Points: —Twenty-five per cent of strengths will be granted: (a) Ordinary leave from Mondays to Fridays—from 6 p.m, to 11.59 p.m. (b) Ordinary week-end leave —from 1 p.m. on Saturday to 11.59 p.m. on Sunday. (c) Long week-end leave for part of the 25 per cent under (b) from 6 p.m. on Friday to 7 a.m. on Monday. (d) Special long week-end leave as in (c) plus the time necessary (but not exceeding an additional 48 hours) to allow men from distant areas time to have 24 hours at home. (e) Furlough—each man will receive once in 3 months sufficient leave to have 7 days at home. Mr Jones said that the intention is that officers and other ranks be granted week-end leave once a month, to enable them to have approximately 24 hours at home. Long week-end leave will enable personnel stationed at outlying camps, etc., to visit the nearest large centre; but the special long week-end leave referred to in (d) is for those men whose homes are at considerable distances from their camp or station. “In regard to furough|” said Mr Jones, “this will be granted after three months’ continuous full-time service, and as it must be so arranged that not more than ten per cent of the unit is absent at any one time, some of the personnel must be prepared to wait for longer than the completion of the three months’ qualifying period before they can obtain this privilege.” “While on ordinary leave, week-end leave or furlough as above,”’said Mr Jones, “there will be no deduction from pay, and when proceeding on furlough all ranks will be given free return travelling warranls to their home or place of enlistment. It must be understood that travelling warrants are not issuable for any type of leave except furlough.” Mr Jones stated the above arrangements are in addition to the existing provisions for the grant of special leave in cases of bereavement or serious illness of a near relative, or for domestic or urgent business reasons. Mi - Jones expressed his. regret that the war situation necessitated the cancellation of Christmas leave, and the disappointment this occasioned the troops and their relatives. The granting of leave and furlough must be kept in proper relation to defence and security requirements, and it may be necessary at any time to countermand or curtail the privileges according to changing conditions.