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THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.

[No. 6

not afford him that support which he has a right to expect, or conduct themselves in a manner injurious to the efficiency or credit of the unit.

REGIMENTAL OFFICER OTHER THAN A COMMANDING OFFICER.

34. A field officer should make himself thoroughly acquainted with the professional abilities and acquirements of all officers placed under his supervision, and a Company, &c., Commander should acquire similar knowledge with regard to his subalterns.

35. Every Company, &c., Commander, even if the appointment is held only temporarily, is responsible for the equipment, ammunition, clothing, and public stores on charge to his company, and is accountable for them to his C.O. He will pay attention to the cleanliness of the men and of their clothing, arms, accoutrements, and tents or quarters, and will see that rations when issued are good and sufficient. He is bound to take charge of all money received on account of his company, &c., and is responsible for the safe custody of such money, and for its being expended in conformity with regulations and with due regard to the interests of his men. A N.C.O. is not to be subjected to the risk of loss by having public money placed in his hands.

36. Kit-inspection will be held only at such times as a Company, &c., Commander may consider necessary, subject to the standing orders of his unit.

37. Every officer is expected, after two years service as an officer, to be capable of commanding and exercising a company, &c., in every situation, and to be perfectly acquainted with its interior management, economy, and discipline; and, after two years’ service as a Company, &c., Commander, to be competent in every respect to undertake the duties of a field officer.

O.C. ROYAL NEW ZEALAND ARTILLERY DEPOT.

38. The interior economy of the R.N.Z.A., including enlistment, pay, promotion, transfers, clothing, equipment, and discharge, will be in the hands of the officer commanding the R.N.Z.A. Depot, Wellington, who will also be the officer in charge of R.N.Z.A. records. He will issue Part II, Regimental Orders, dealing with interior economy and administration. He is responsible for the discipline and efficiency of the depot, and the training of recruits. He will submit, in the first instance, to O.sC. Districts concerned the annual confidential report on all officers of the R.N.Z.A. (vide para. 46). For the purposes described in this paragraph he is the O.C. R.N.Z.A.

39. O.sC. R.N.Z.A. detachments will correspond direct with the O.C. R.N.Z.A. Depot on matters connected with interior economy, excepting in cases dealing with transfers and movements of personnel, when the correspondence will be forwarded through the O.C. District.

40. The distribution of the instructional cadres of the R.N.Z.A. throughout the Dominion will be carried out under instructions received from Headquarters.

41. For all other purposes detachments of the R.N.Z.A. will be under the command of the O.C. District in which they are serving.

COMPANY COMMANDER, SENIOR CADETS.

42. An officer commanding a company of Senior Cadets will be responsible that—

(1.) Discipline is strictly enforced, and is in accordance with these regulations and with the rules of the school or recognized organization (if any) to which the company belongs.

(2.) The prescribed training is properly carried out.

(3.) The Cadets of his company are properly armed, equipped, and clothed, and that any deficiencies in this respect are reported at once to the Officer i/c Area Group.

(4.) The necessary entries are made from time to time in the record-books of each Cadet.

(5.) The annual return of Cadets who will become liable for transfer to the Territorial Force before the 31st December following is submitted to the Officer i/c Area Group on the 1st May. This return will include the names of any Cadets who have become liable to transfer to the Territorial Force since the last return was submitted, but whose names did not appear in that return.

Confidential Reports.

43. A confidential report on N.Z. Form B 66 will be furnished to the G.O.C. annually on the 1st April on every officer on the establishment of the N.Z. Staff Corps and R.N.Z.A. These reports will be strictly confidential and privileged, and are in no case to be made public.

44. This report will be made out in the first instance by the C.O. or other immediate superior of the officer reported on, and will record the opinion of the District Commander.

45. An officer of the N.Z. Staff Corps or R.N.Z.A. will only be confidentially reported on by an officer holding a permanent commission.

46. Officers of R.N.Z.A. will be reported on in the first instance by the O.C. R.N.Z.A. Depot, who will then forward the reports to the O.C. District under whom the individual officer is serving. Should the O.C. Depot not be in a position to report on a detached officer, he will forward to the O.C. District concerned Form B 66 filled in only with the necessary extracts from the officers record of service, but left blank as regards any expression of opinion.

47. Confidential reports on officers of the Staff Corps and R.N.Z.A. will be rendered annually to Headquarters, N.Z. Military Forces, on N.Z. Form B 66 by O.sC. Districts.

48. An officer will be recommended in his annual report either—

(1.) For accelerated promotion;

(2.) For promotion in the ordinary course; or

(3.) For promotion to be delayed.

49. Should the confidential reports of two successive years recommend delay in promotion, a special report will be rendered by the O.C. District, stating whether he thinks it desirable that the officer should retain his commission.

50. In recommending an officer for accelerated promotion, the officer submitting the report will record clearly and concisely the special qualifications which make the officer more efficient than his comrades. Recommendations of this nature should be sparingly made, and should apply to cases only where the officer is exceptionally gifted, or where he has displayed special ability in the performance of his duties. These recommendations will carry greater weight when an officer has passed his examination for promotion and has obtained a special certificate, although the latter is not an essential condition.

51. The confidential annual report on each unit of the Territorial Force and Senior Cadets (N.Z. Form E 5) rendered by the inspecting officer will contain a short confidential report on each officer of the unit. This is the only annual confidential report required in the case of officers of the Territorial Force (vide paras. 278–280).

52. Officers in charge of Area Groups, Adjutants, and all other officers of the Staff Corps who have members of the Permanent Staff serving directly under them will submit to the O.C. District on the 1st June in each year a confidential report on such members of the Permanent Staff. The report will be forwarded, with the remarks of the O.C. District, to the Adjutant-General, Headquarters.

53. When an officer is adversely reported on in regard to his fitness for his present position or for promotion to a higher one, or in respect of any fault which affects his character as an officer, the particulars of the adverse report are, when practicable, to be read to him (and a copy handed to him) by the O.C. District or other officer to whom the report is rendered, who shall at the same time communicate any point which may have come under his observation and inform the officer concerned that if he continues to be so reported on he will be required to resign his commission. If this course is not practicable, the above particulars are to be communicated to the officer concerned by letter. A note will be made in the report that these instructions have been duly attended to, or an explanation furnished when they have not been carried out.

SECTION III.—THE STAFF.

Composition and Distribution.

54. The Staff of the New Zealand Military Forces consists of—

The Staff at Headquarters;

The Staff in districts.

The distribution of the Staff is shown in the New Zealand Army List.

55. The Staff is divided into—

(1.) The General Staff;

(2.) The Administrative Staff.

56. Appointments to the higher posts on the Staff will be made from a selected list of officers of the N.Z. Staff Corps and Permanent Force considered qualified for such employment, termed the “Staff List.”

This list will be prepared and revised each year by the G.O.C., but will not be published. The guiding principle in the selection of officers for this list will be the possession of those qualifications which render them fitted for the performance of the duties of the Staff; but as a general rule an officer will not be eligible for employment on the General Staff, or for exchange with Imperial General Staff Officers in other parts of the Empire, unless he holds a Staff College certificate or has been noted as qualified for Staff employment in consequence of proved ability on the Staff in the field.

57. Officers of the Territorial Force may be seconded for service on the Staff.

58. No officer will hold a Staff appointment longer than four years without being reappointed.