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REGULAR FORCE. (a) Commands. On 17th December, 1939, on being seconded for duty with the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Colonel E. Puttick, D.5.0., A.D.C. to the King, relinquished his appointment as Officer Commanding, Central Military District, and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel R. A. Row, D.5.0., who was granted the temporary rank of Colonel. On being appointed Quartermaster-General and Third Military Member of the Army Board on 29th February, 1940, vice Colonel R. Miles, D.5.0., M.C., seconded to the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Colonel P. H. Bell, D.5.0., relinquished the appointment of Officer Commanding, Southern Military District, and was succeeded by Lieut.-Colonel E. T. Rowllings, who was granted the temporary rank of Colonel. (b) Casualties. During the year there were 30 discharges of W.O.'s, N.C.O.'s, and men. Of this number, 15 were discharged at their own request (9 by purchase), 1 reached the retiring-age, 10 were medically unfit, and 4 were discharged. One warrant officer of the British Army returned to England in February, 1940, on termination of his period of engagement with the New Zealand Military Forces. (c) Strength, New Zealand Regular Force. The present strength of the New Zealand Regular Force (including those seconded for service with the second New Zealand Expeditionary Force) is shown in tables in the Appendix. MEDICAL SERVICES. Prior to the outbreak of war the staff of the New Zealand Medical Corps was wholly Territorial and consisted of the following administrative officers, each of whom received an honorarium:— Director of Medical Services (Army Headquarters), Deputy Assistant Director of Medical "Services (Army Headquarters), An Assistant Director of Medical Services for each of the three Military Districts. On the outbreak of war the staff of the N.Z.M.C. was increased to the following Army Headquarters. Director-General of Medical Services (Army and Air), Assistant Director of Medical Services, Staff Officer and Quartermaster, Civilian Staff of four. All these were employed on a whole-time basis. District Administration. An Assistant Director of Medical Services was employed on a half-time basis for each of the three military districts. With the raising of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force a whole-time Senior Medical Officer was appointed to each mobilization camp, and later three Assistant Medical Officers were appointed. Subsequently full-time medical officers were stationed at Narrow Neck, Motutapu, and Fort Dorset, while part-time medical officers were appointed to fortress troops at Wellington and Lyttelton. New Zealand Dental Services. Prior to the war the Dental Corps consisted of a Director of Dental Services, three Assistant Directors, and six Dental Officers attached to Field Ambulances. When war broke out the Director of Dental Services and later an Assistant Director of Dental Services were employed on a whole-time basis at Army Headquarters, together with an Assistant Director of Dental Services for each of the Northern and Southern Military Districts, these two latter being part-time officers. All dental treatment is now being carried out at the expense of the State, and, with minor exceptions, this is done after the recruit enters camp. For this purpose dental hospitals have been established in each of the three mobilization camps. Camp Hospitals. Camp hospitals, with the most modern equipment, have been erected in the three mobilization camps, each having accommodation for 30 to 50 patients. Each has an establishment of 5 members of the New Zealand Army Nursing Service and 2 officers and 25 other ranks. Smaller camp hospitals are being established at Fort Dorset and Narrow Neck. In consequence of the policy laid down by the Organization for National Security all medical and surgical cases which are unlikely to recover within twenty-four to forty-eight hours are evacuated to the nearest civil base hospital. The Hospital Boards concerned guarantee accommodation for all sick soldiers who may require in-patient treatment. The soldier, therefore, is under complete civilian control during his stay in or attendance at the hospital.

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