TRAINING AT WAIOURU

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 136, 6 December 1939, Page 12

TRAINING AT WAIOURU

UNEXPECTED ORDERS

CHRISTMAS LEAVE

(By Telegraph.) (From "The Post's" Special Reporter.} WAIOURU, This Day. A curtailment of the field training programmes at Waiouru has been made necessary by the receipt of unexpected instructions yesterday that the various units are to return to their mobilisation camps on Sunday, after only a week at \^aiouru, instead of the fortniglit originally planned. It has been decided to grant Christmas leave to the troops of 14 days from their home camps. After that no further leave will be granted. Although the training period at Waiouru has been cut in half, the commanding officers of the three regiments represented there—divisional cavalry, infantry battalion, and engineers—hope to carry out at least the more important phases of their respective programmes. The 19th Wellington Battalion is enI gaged in field tactical training, which will culminate tomorrow and on Friday in an extensive attack scheme, extending throughout one night. During this movement the battalion will take and consolidate a position .by digging in and erecting barbed wire entanglements and building tank traps. The divisional cavalry, 'mechanised, are carrying out operations in the field with Bren gun carriers-^-all at present available for training purposes in the Dominion. The various companies of the cavalry regiment in camp are using the Bren carriers in turn. The engineers are engaged. on an extensive programme, including trench digging, tunnelling, and the construction of anti-tank defences. Tomorrow's section of their work will be more spectacular, and will' include practice in the destruction of bridges by cutting girders with gun cotton, road cratering (that is, blowing up a section of road), and other means of impeding the advance of an enemy: There are at present nearly 100 officers and about 1500 other ranks in camp. Calm, sunny weather is being experienced,. and good use is being made of the many thousands of acres of rolling tussock country available for training. The snow-clad heights of Ruapehu and the more distant cone of Ngauruhoe are features of the magnificent vista seen from the camp. ■ The camp is comfortable and well equipped. The men sleep in woodenfloored tents, with cookhouses, stores, camp headquarters, hot and cold showers, and other conveniences in permanent buildings. (By Telegraph—Press Association.;. TAIHAPE, This Day. A special train will leave Waiouru at 8 a.m. on Sunday for Wellington. The divisional cavalry from Ngaruawahia and the field engineers, who are in camp will also; depart on Sunday. Night manoeuvres were carried out last night by the infantry until midnight, advancing and attacking movements being included in the programme. On Monday; the field engineers built a heavy traffic bridge over the Waiouru stream, and trenches were sited arid will be dug by the troops this week. The Government Publicity Department made a moving picture of the camp yesterday. •