The Bermuda Regiment will soon be trawling bars, offices and sports clubs across the Island to arrest draft dodgers after only 33 turned up for Wednesday's medical.

Defence administrator Larry Burchall said a couple of hundred recruits were on the missing list, despite an 85 percent response on Tuesday night from deferred recruits.

Mr. Burchall said Wednesday night's depleted roll call for those who had avoided all contact with the Regiment had confirmed his worst fears.

He said: "I am too familiar with Bermuda and Bermudians to be saddened."

He said the varying turn out over the two nights showed the groups represented vastly diverse sections of Bermuda society.

He said: "It's clear to me from research this group who absented themselves may be absenting themselves from the economy in general and society. You won't find them in church."

Nevertheless he said a Regiment dragnet would find them easily enough.

"You don't need to know where they live or work. You simply need to know where they are going to be."

Mr. Burchall said he couldn't say when the Regiment would begin rounding up recruits missing from the call-up, now possible under a recently amended defence act.

He said the Governor would have to give approval and the names of the missing recruits would have to be printed in The Royal Gazette next Friday before the search could begin.