TROOP TRAINING

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 60, Issue 133, 16 March 1940, Page 5

TROOP TRAINING

NEW ZEALANDERS IN HEGYPT; '

NO BRITISH INSTRUCTORS. OWN OFFICERS QUITE CAPABLE. ; ■* . ■ ■ (Per Press Association). WELLINGTON, This Hay. The Minister of Defence (Mr F. Jones) points out that an impression whioh appears to be current that the second N.Z.E.F. in Egypt is receiving instruction from officers and nomcommissioned officers of the British Ariny is not; correct. . .. “The First Echelon, now undergoing training in Egypt and subsequent Echelons’ and reinforcements will receive advanced instruction from officers and non-commissioned officers of the- N.Z.E.F.,” said Mr Jones. “Tlift impression has no doubt been caused by 7 an" instruction, which certain officers and non-commissioned officers in the advanced party received from the British Army in Egypt.* “I wish to make it quite clear that our New Zealand instructors are thoroughly efficient, and that the instructions the advanced party received at ' the hands of the British 'Army was. to equipment, which was new to them,, and' which cannot he secured in New Zealand in tlio meantime. Courses arranged for the advanced party embraced the following subjects, mechanised cavalry, artillery, small arms, machine-gun, bren carrier, anti-gas, engineering, mechanised transport, signals, and army servieo corps duties.”