OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXIII, Issue 118, 19 May 1892, Page 9

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

QUEEN'S BIRTHDAY SHAM-FIGHT,

H.M.S. RINGAROOMA TO TAKE

PART.

Volunteer circles in Auckland arc full of preparations for the sham-fight and fieldday which has been fixed by tho officer commanding the district for the Queen s Birthday, Tuesday next. The occasion will all'ord an excellent opportunity of practical instruction for the local volunteer forces, and «he fact that for tho first time in Auckland a British warship will take parb in a shatn-fight will lend tho affair additional interest. It has bcon arranged that tho crew of H.M.s. auxiliary screw cruiser Bingarooma will take part iv the mimic attack on ono of the harbour forts, the departure of that warship for the South having been postponed until after the 24th insb.

Yesterday afternoon Lieut.-Colonel Goring, the officer commanding the Auckland district, accompanied by a number of local volunteer officers, proceeded down in the Government steam launch Isabel to tho fort at tho Bastion Rock, opposite Fort Cautley, for the purpose of oxumining UlO "fighting-ground," and mapping out a plan of attack and defonco. It hns boon decided to hold the sham-tight at tho Bastion Forb, the Navals and men-o-warsmen forming tho attacking party, and the Garrison Corps and Permanent Artillery the defending body. The following officials accompanied Colonol Goring to the Bastion :—Major Skinner, Captains Parker, Miller and Robertson, LieutenantAdjutant Grant, Lieutenants Jackson Falmer, E. H. Montgomery and G. Watson.

A careful inspection wns mado of tho most salient localities, and a plan of attack and defence was decided upon, ib being arranged that Major Skinner should have command of the attacking party. The following Districb Order, dotailing tho arrangonaonta for the sham - fight. has been issued by tho officor commanding tho district : — Field manoeuvres will be held at the Bastion on tho 24th insb., for instruction in attack and defence. The undermentioned corps will form tho defending f°rcu : ~ "A" Battery Field Artillery, Victoria, Newton, City Guards (Riflea), South Franklin (Mounted Rifles), under the command 01 Maior Skinner. -- ■■■■■•.•

The" attacking force will consist of a detachment from H.M.s. Ringarooma, tho Auckland Naval 3 and the Pousonby'Navals. The Engineers Company will bs detailed for ambulance work under Surgeon-Major Dawson, who will issue his own instructions. Ho will attach himself to tho deiending force. - v Tho wholo of tho force will parade in review ordor at 7.30 a.m. on tho Ferry Company's whurf, Auckland, ready to embark on thg steamer Eagle. Tho senior officer presenb will auporintend tho embarkation. Tho ofiicora commanding the Naval Corps will bring their corps' boats. ThoEaglo will cail alongside H.M.s Ringarooma to take on board her dotachment, and then proceed to tho Bastion. As tho tido on this morning will not allow the steamer to go alongside the Jetty, tho disembarkation will havo to bo done by boats, and tho senior officer presont will superintend this. The officer commanding tho Royal Naval detachment will superintend his own landing. Should the weather provont the carrying out of the present plan, two guns will bo tired from Mount Victoria at 7 a.m. ( Officers in command of corps will carefully inspect the pouches of their men, and soo that all ball ammunition is removod, before issuing the Snider blank cartridge, of winch thirty rounds will bo suppliod to each man.

The following rules are to bo strictly carried out by all those concerned :—l. No troeps are to approach witjiin 50 yards of the opposing force, and no tiring is to bS allowed under any circumstance afc a less distance. 2. In action, infantry are on no account, or under any circumstance, to fix bayonets. Casualties: On tho command "casualties'' (from tho officer commanding the Company), flank-tiles of tho na'rned body will drop. if in "rank entire," one man only in each flank will drop. Tho captain ot the Company will decide when " casualties" are to take place. Officers commanding corps will hand in their parade states to tho adjutant immediately the parade is formed at the Bastion.

The boys at tho Kohiir.arama Training School have for some time past been assiduously engaged in big-gun and musketry drill at tho Bastion, under tho instruction of members of the Permanent Asiillery, and they will be allowed to form a portion of tho defending forco on Tuesday neat.

I>, is expected thab the Thames Naval Volunteer Company will conio up for the occasion in order to aid tho attacking party. It is not yet known whether tho country corps, such as the Waiuku Cavalry, South Franklin Mounted Infantry, and other companies, will be able to come down for the sham-fight. ..■;■-'•■

.v. THE AMBULANCE CORPS

It is suggested that a movement should be made to revive interest in tho Am-. bulanco Corp?, which is a most valuable auxiliary to any force. A parade of the remaining members of the corps, now very few, is called for to-morrow evening at tho Drill-shed by Surgeon-Major Dawson, the officer in charge. It is believed that, if instead of detailing members from infantry companies to form the Ambulance Corps, as is the case at presont, a separate and independent corps for this purpose were to be formed, it would meet with more support and have a better chance of permanency.

AUCKLAND NAVAL ARTILLERY.

Last evening the 32nd annual meeting of the Auckland Naval Artillery Co., ono of the smartest and most popular of our local volunteer corps, was hold in the Drill-shed. Captain Parker presided. Tho annual reporb and balance-sheet showed the Company to bo in a good position financially. Tho election of officers for the ensuing year resulted as follows : — Captain Parker as treasurer ; Petty Officer H. Parker, re-elected, secretary; Lieutenant Little and Petty Officer John Clarke, as Finance Committee ; Lieutenant Smith, Petty Officer M. Mooro, and Seaman Craig were elected as Clothing Committee ; and Lieutenant Smith, Chief Petty Officer McKay, and Seaman Boreham as auditors to tho Company. If was decided to hold the annual dinner of the Company on tho evening of the Queen's Birthday, and that in tho event of the Thames Navals coming to take part in the sham-fight, they be invited to bo present. A vote of thanks was accorded to .the Chairman and the retiring officers.

SERGEANT DOUGHTY'S MEDAL.

TN' Ith i-eference to the Government gold medal won recently by Sergeant Doughty ("A'; Battery) at the N.Z.R.A. Meeting at Wellington, Mr Jackson Palmer, M.H.R., has received the following telegram from the Hon. R. Seddon, Minister for Defence, Wellington:—"The medal is in course of manufacture, and if all goes well, I hope to be able to make the presentation, and also do my best to settle the uniform dispute with the Engineers, shortly." .......