THE PEOPLE’S ARMY

Wairarapa Times-Age, 18 May 1942, Page 3

THE PEOPLE’S ARMY

ADDRESS BY GENERAL PUTTICK GOOD PROGRESS IN TRAINING & ORGANISATION. CALL FOR ENCOURAGEMENT OF TROOPS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. “Our Army is the people’s Army, in which the people must have a part,” said Lieutenant-General E. Puttick, D. 5.0., G.O.C. New Zealand Forces, in a broadcast address last night in which he gave a 20-minute review of militaryactivities in the Dominion, touching on the system of defence, methods of training and particularly the attitude of the public to their soldiers. He said it might be possible to give more attention in future to keeping the public informed about the Army. General Puttick explained that it was impossible to have troops defending the whole of New Zealand’s coastline, and the defence of certain danger points had been decided on. Those local forces had to be kept at a minimum so that the mobile forces on which the security of the country depended could be kept at the highest strength. Since the Japanese had entered the war the equipment position had improved rapidly, and the quantities of equipment that had arrived and continued, to arrive exceeded all expectations. During his inspections since his return from overseas the troops had carried on with their normal work. He had found the efficiency of officers and non-commissioned officers better than he had expected, and it was obvious that the Army schools were producing excellent results. Commenting on the keenness of the men, General Puttick mentioned specially the married men, the Maoris, the tank and Bren gun carrier crews and the Home Guard. Remarking that he had seen some references to training in bayonet fighting being obsolescent, General Puttick claimed that that part of a soldier’s training inculcated the offensive spirit, taught him to take care of himself and enabled him to take part in bayonet charges that might be a decisive factor in a" battle. In Crete, Australians and New Zealanders had carried out at least 27 bayonet charges. A certain amount of “spit and polish” also was necessary, for without it one might have a rosy apple with canker at the heart. New Zealand’s troops in the Middle East were smart. In New Zealand endeavours were being made to reduce the number of hours allotted to close order 'training, but there was a minimum under which it would not be safe to go. General Puttick concluded his address with a reference to. the public s attitude to the Army. For a time there had been little or no encouragement of the troops, he said, but latterly, after references to the subject by himself, he had noticed a marked improvement in that respect, and it would have an excellent effect on the Army generally. The criticism had been made that what be had complained of was due to the public not being told about the Army. He had no doubt that the Army did not give out sufficient information, and now that the tremendous rush of work might be receding a little it might be possible to give attention to that. However, it was as easy for the public to find out the good things about the Army as the bad things. Facts about such things as the men’s food and clothing could be found out from the men themselves, with whom everyone was in contact. He paid a tribute o (hose in charge of the Army prior to his return to New Zealand and to the Government departments in close contact with the Army. I The main objects of the. Army at present, said General Puttick were to train to the highest possible efficiency for war in New Zealand or elsewhere, the schools of instruction and staff college being important in that respect, to perfect defence m a places, including all possible measure to increase the mobility of the Fore is, and to maintain morale at the highest possible pitch.