October 1, was fixed as the date for introducing the new 3rd class Warrant Officer rank and as a beginning 1000 sergeants will be promoted. The ranks are troop, section and platoon sergeant majors to command troops of cavalry, sections of artillery and signals, platoons of infantry and sections of tanks. The new rank, will be used for training soldiers for combatant commissions and for promotion to Warrant Officer Class LI and on higher to Class I
"and Quartermaster. As a scheme it is intended to make the fullest use Of the better educated material now in the Army.
Appointments by Recommendation.
Certain technical branches are excluded from the scheme but will be gradually brought in, beginning with the R.E. Class III will wear a crown badge and Class LI a crown and wreath. All that a young soldier needs as qualification for the new rank is his C. O's recommendation, a 2nd-class certificate of education (signals lst-class) and to undertake to extend or re-engage.
But aspirants are warned to study for the 1st-Class Certificate which will be imposed as a condition after June 30, 1941. Selection for the present will be by quotas for the R.A., and nine for each infantry regiment on the basis of four for the home Battalion and five for the overseas battalion (China, Mediterranean, Ma-lava and Egypt) details for India battalions will be issued later.
China will be affected as follows:
SUBALTERNS REDUCED
ath Heavy Regiment 8 5th A. A. ent 3 Infantry Battalions 3
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.