A look back at Compulsory Military Training
Following a national referendum, an act of parliament was passed by the then Labour Government on October 20, 1949 requiring all males attaining the age of 18 to register for Compulsory Military Training at either their local post office or labour department.
The first intake entered camp on May 9, 1950, 70 years ago, to do a
14-week training.
The second intake in January
1951 only completed 10-and-a-half weeks’ training due to the National Waterfront Strike, as the instructors were required to load and unload the shipping.
From then on it was 10-and-a-half weeks.
Compulsory Military Training lasted eight years, with 27 intakes completed.
The 13th intake in 1954 was the largest ever to leave Taranaki, comprising 350 men. They were mainly dairy factory workers and farm hands during the off season.
The scheme was scaled back to include 20 year olds who were balloted for training on their birth date.
This was labelled National Service. There were 32 intakes of National Service all told, being completed on November 23, 1972.
Compulsory Military Training and National Service was abolished by then National Government due to the fact that they had more than enough troops trained up that they didn’t know what to do with them.
Compulsory Military Training and National Service was not without casualties however, with 15 trainees losing their lives during training. Most notably when the breach of a 25pdr gun exploded and blew apart, killing two local gunners and injuring three others.
The gun sight was found about 90 metres away amongst parked trucks.
From then on a number of recruits who had completed their training volunteered with their local territorial units. They went in as boys and came out as men.