CASUAL CAMP.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4054, 10 May 1917, Page 4

CASUAL CAMP.

AT TIMARU SHOWGROUNDS.

The Casual Camp for members of the Eighth (5.0.) Mounted Rifles and Second (S.C.) Regiment, who failed to attend the annual camp at Orari, commenced on Monday last, and will conclude on May 15. The site .again, chosen, was the Timaru A. and P. show-grounds, > whore about 250 men are under canvas. There are about 40 tents, which were pitched by an advance party and members of the A.5.C.,. and ample shelter is provided. Despite the very wet weather experienced,- j it has caused little inconvenience, and and the work has not been interfered with. Most of the men, who comprise 175 infantry and some 85 niounteds, arrived in camp on Monday, but owing . - to the railway curtailments, many did not report till Tuesda^ The syllabus is similar to that carried out at the Orari Camp, and is on the lines of the work given the men at Featherston and Trentnam. It consists • [chiefly of scjuad'and platoon drill, and j musketry (tiring practice). Much importance is being attached to extended j order drill in sections, and N.CO.'s - and .men will, at the end of the camp, J ! have ' mastered the intricacies of the-U^--harder drill. _ The important factor in keeping men [ in good spirits—namely, amusements — | has not been forgotten, and a large C.E.M.S. marquee, under the supervision of Mr W. G. Adams, is capable j of accommodating all the men in thecamp. The officers in camp are as follow r —;. Camp Commandant, Captain A. -N." Oakey, M.C., N.Z.E.; Camp Adjutant, Lieutenant d'A. S. L. Grut, N.Z.I. y - Assistant Adjutant, Lieutenant M. W. P. Blathwayt; Camp Q.M.S. SergeantMajor (W. 0.) A. IJ. Thatcher; Camp Sergeant-Major, Staff Sergeant-Major- [ G. G. Johnston; Sergeant Instructors, Sergeants-Major Gracie and Tozer. > The officers in camp are: —Captains ■ W. G., Marriott and Buist; Lieutenants' Martin, Cave, Scott, Sherratt, Johnston, Harper, Orbell, Hodges, Friedlander, Mrlhvrnith, and Jones' (Ashburton); Chaplains, Rev. A. H. 1 Norris (Church of England), and T?ev.. W. Marshall (Presbyterian).