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A Short History of the
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With the surrender of the Japanese on 15 August 1945 the war ended, and the disintegration of the New Zealand Military Forces, already under way, proceeded apace. 2NZEF men were being brought home as fast as shipping space could be found, the Territorial Force had been disbanded once the threat from Japan receded, and other soldiers enlisted for the duration were being rapidly released. No regular force personnel had been enlisted since 1940, nor apparently had any plans been made to resume enlistment. All training ceased. A year later, while still trying to make up their minds what to do, the politicians authorised the formation of a conglomeration which they charitably entitled the 'Interim Army'. Into this make-shift 'organisation' were absorbed home-service duration-only bodies, most of whom were camp staff, had avoided overseas service, or were medically unfit for it, had no civilian jobs to take up, and saw an opportunity of continuing the easy life they had enjoyed during the war. Required standards of medical fitness and education were lower than those prevailing in the pre-war Regular Force. Until weeded out some years later, a significant section did little to enhance the image of the New Zealand Army. Worse, a number continued to hold appointments which in all fairness should have gone to Regular Force men returning from service with 2NZEF. In the same year (1946) training resumed with the formation of New Zealand's contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan ('J' Force), and with RNZA refresher courses in field, coast, and anti-aircraft drill and equipment, which carried on into 1947. Squads on each course were virtually the same, field men being sent to both coast and AA course 'to make up the numbers', for the strength of the RNZA was now but a shadow of its pre-war figure. The reasons deserve to be recorded. Sadly. there had been those killed in action. Others had been invalided out through wounds, sickness, or injuries. Still more, having completed their engagements during hostilities were so unimpressed with the conditions they encountered and the treatment meted out to them on returning to their pre-war stations, that they lost no time in tendering their resignations. They saw the regular force, and the RNZA in particular as a 'forgotten legion'. While civilian remuneration had kept pace with the rising cost of living (through wage increases made during the war), regular soldiers found themselves still on 1939 rates of pay, for a Government promise to review them had not been kept. Warrant Officers and Sergeants with many years service found they would be better off as recruits in the Police Force or Transport Department, and changed the colour of their uniforms accordingly. Those RNZA NCO's and Men who decided to stay with the Regiment were put to work cleaning, painting, and otherwise maintaining the large quantities of equipment relinquished by the Home Defence Forces, much of it in a state of neglect. On at least one main RNZA station they were quartered not in their comfortable 1935 barracks, but in sub-standard tin-hut dormitories of 1914-18 vintage. Their status had been reduced to that of underpaid labourers. There was talk of 'one army' ie that the Regular Force and Territorial Force (when and if reactivated), were to be integrated. It seemed to the 'other ranks' as the hierarchy incorrectly and discourteously called their WO's, NCO's and Men, that the first step in the process was to deprive them of the little things they had once appreciated as setting them apart as Regular soldiers in peacetime. No longer were they permitted to wear SD caps; WO's and Staff Sergeants were no longer permitted to wear SD type jackets, brown boots and shoes, or Sam Browne belts, although many were in possession of these items. The blue dress uniforms issued with such a fanfare in 1938 and withdrawn on the commencement of hostilities were not re-issued - and never have been - although they were restored to the Royal Artillery WO's and Sergeants in 1950. Of course none of the restrictions applied to Officers. Then came the nastiest shock of all, worse than the one they had suffered in 1932, when men were prematurely retired upon reaching the age of 50. The Army Council, chaired by the Minister of Defence, decided the forces should have younger soldiers, to which end they forthwith lowered the retiring age from 55 to 45 - except, of course for senior Officers. The idea was sound enough, but not original. Hitler had employed such a scheme in the mid-1930's - after having made suitable adjustments to pensions in order to build up a trained reserve. It might have been well received in the New Zealand Army had it included a modicum of consideration for the men most affected, ie those on the lower rungs of the ladder. They had enlisted in good faith on the understanding they would retire at 55, and many had planned their lives on that basis. Instead men who had completed their initial engagement while overseas with 2NZEF, and had not been given the opportunity of re-engaging to retiring age, were called to the office where they were invited to complete the prescribed form - after deleting 55, substituting 45,and being made to initial the alteration. No explanation of any kind was made - and certainly no offer of adjustment to superannuation as might have been expected in an organisation claiming efficient regulation. Older soldiers who had signed re-engagement papers before the war had them torn from their personal files and destroyed, after which they were ordered to sign new forms. Those who demurred were threatened with the sack unless they did so. Having subscribed to the Government Superannuation Fund for, say, 35 years, the regular soldier retiring at 55 was not quite so well endowed as the public servant who had contributed at the same rate but who could serve for 40 years. However, the soldier was not too badly off; if he so desired he could at least live on his retiring allowance without being obliged to seek further employment. On the other hand at 45 the soldier could not afford to retire on an allowance 30% less than the one he had been led to expect. To continue living in the manner to which his rank and 25 years of dedicated service entitled him, he had to find another job. If he had trade or professional qualifications he was fortunate; if he had none save those of soldiering, he was at a disadvantage. Unlike the United Kingdom, for example, where the qualifications of professional fighting men, particularly Gunners, are recognised by certain civilian organisations, in New Zealand forty years ago they were not, either by Government Departments or industry. Even in the Public Service, including the civilian section of the Defence Department, civilian educational qualifications only were taken into account when considering ex-Service applicants for clerical appointments - although having engaged a man the Department made good use of his service experience and knowledge. No appointments were made to grades above basic. To add insult to injury a serviceman entering the Department after many years service with a faultless record, was made to serve 12 months on probation - during which time no promotion was made. No matter where the retired soldier took up employment invariably he had to start from the bottom on significantly less pay than he had enjoyed as a serviceman. If he joined a Government Dept he could not resume contributions to the Super Fund unless he gave up his retiring allowance - and that he could not afford to do. To requests for appropriate adjustments to retiring allowances the Government answers either that National Superannuation compensates for all inequities, or the economy cannot stand any increases - massive handouts by the Higher Salaries Commission excepted, of course. The results of the injustices described above the writer sees daily, men in their late sixties or early seventies doing menial work, eg maintaining gardens, relieving caretakers, assisting part-time in shops or stores, working at home on monotonous piece-work for manufacturers - not through mere hungriness for the dollar, but to acquire a few of the comforts and amenities other retired citizens take for granted. In addition there are a few crippled by diseases not attributable to service in the forces who cannot work, and these when brought to its notice the Association endeavours to assist. One worry the ex-Army superannuitant who retired in the 1950's or 1960's does not have - his National Super is hardly likely to be surcharged! See also: NZ Artillery Units 1946 - 1950 previous | index | next | History index | Home | ||