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Session 11. 1912. NEW ZEALAND.

DEFENCE FORCES OF NEW ZEALAND. REPORT OF THE GENERAL OFFICER COMMANDING THE FORCES FOR THE PERIOD FROM 28th JULY, 1911, TO 27th JUNE, 1912.

Presented to both Houses of the General Assembly by Command of His Excellency.

To the Honourable the lMinister of Defence. Sir,— I have the honour to submit the following report on the Forces under my command from the date of my last year's report to the opening of Parliament on 27th June, 1912. In view of the fact that the period under review is one of the initiation of a scheme of universal service, and that the training has been entirely of an elementary nature, and practically confined to recruits, I do not propose to report on the efficiency of the Forces to take the field. I shall hope to do so next year. 1. Headquarters and District Staffs. (a.) Appointment of Quartermaster-General. The appointment of Adjutant-General and Quartermaster-General was last year held by Colonel A. W. Robin, C.8., C.M.G., t.d., New Zealand Staff Corps, but, owing to the increased amount of work devolving on these branches in the organization and equipping of the Forces under the new scheme, it was decided to separate the two offices, Colonel Robin retaining the former, and Lieut.-Colonel H. 0. Knox, Army Service Corps, Director of Transport and Supply, being appointed Quartermaster-General, the duties of Director of Transport and Supply being absorbed therewith. (b.) Officer appointed to represent the Dominion at Headquarters of Imperial General Staff. Colonel A. W. Robin, C.8., C.M.G., t.d., New Zealand Staff Corps, has been appointed to represent the Dominion at the Headquarters of the Imperial General Staff, War Office, London, and left the Dominion on 26th April to take up his new duties. (c.) Appointment of Adjutant-General (Temporary). Lieut.-Colonel (temporary Colonel) G. C. B. Wolfe, New Zealand Staff Corps, has been appointed to carry out the duties of Adjutant-General to the Forces during the absence from the Dominion of Colonel Robin. (d.) Appointments to command Military Districts. Lieut.-Colonel A. Bauchop, C.M.G., New Zealand Staff Corps, has been appointed to command the Otago Military District, and has taken up his duties on his return from England, vice Colonel Smyth, appointed to command the Canterbury Military District. Lieut.-Colonel F. W. Abbott, D.5.0., New Zealand Staff Corps, had been appointed to command the Auckland Military District, and was to have taken up his duties on his return from England early next month, vice Colonel Wolfe, appointed Adjutant-General, but I regret to say that he died on the voyage out. Lieut.-Colonel Tβ. Logan, A.D.C., New Zealand Staff Corps, has been appointed to the command in his place, with the temporary rank of colonel. Lieut.-Colonel (temporary Colonel) V. S. Smyth, New Zealand Staff Corps, has been appointed to command the Canterbury Military District, vice Lieut.-Colonel Hawkins, deceased, whose place has been temporarily filled for nine months by Lieut.-Colonel J. T. Burnett-Stuart, D.5.0., Imperial General Staff. Colonels Hawkins and Abbott, both excellent officers, are a great loss to the Military Forces of the Dominion.

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