Recruitment

Throughout 1914 and into early 1915 reinforcements for the NZEF were filled by volunteers. The National Registration Act 1915 provided for the completion by the Government Statistician of a “National Register” from personal schedules supplied by men between the ages of 17 and 60 years, with a view to ascertaining the resources of the Dominion for war and economic purposes.

The personal schedules were collected by the Post and Telegraph Department between October and November 1915, and contained particulars such as name, age, nationality, allegiance, occupation, and marital condition. In addition, men between the ages of 19 and 45 were required to express their willingness or unwillingness for military service beyond New Zealand. Following the compilation of the National Register, local rolls were produced for each county, borough, and town district. They were supplied to local recruiting committees to assist them in a personal canvass of their districts for recruits, so as to maintain the strength of regular reinforcements required for the NZEF by voluntary means. However by late 1915, the number of men volunteering had dwindled and the authorities decided that compulsion would be necessary to fill the reinforcements.