OUR VOLUNTEERS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 78, 4 April 1899, Page 5

OUR VOLUNTEERS.

A 1 GOOD CAMP OF INSTRUCTION.

The opinion of one of the principal commanding officers in connection with the Auckland volunteer encampment just ended was: 'A splendid camp of instruction.' Major T. L. Murray, officer commanding the Auckland No. 1 Rifle Battalion, expressed to a 'Star representative to-day his conviction that the encampment had been a most useful one not only in giving the volunteers practical instruction in field work, such as outpost duty, attack and defence, etc., but also in teaching them the camp ditties of the-soldier. lhe camp, said Major Murray, was an excellent one, and it was the means of imparting to the.young soldier some verY nseful information. One thing Major Murray, as an old yolmx^rot thirty years' experience, was particularly pleased with was the conduct of the men in camp, and e^ecially with the non-commissioned officers. _n_ non-coms, of the No. *1. Battalion have lately had topas^a very f f f3^ 1 nation, and the benefit of this was very noticeable at the Epsom camp IT compared with the last Easter SmnT The sergeants knew their duties- they had their men well under control; orders were prompty attendedto, and there was an absence of rowdyism and of noise after 'Lights out' was sounded at night. The skirmShing work yesterday was of 351e beneftt to the men' aad S_e volunteers brigaded in camp performed their duties cheerfully and showed a good spirit. Naturally, *>£ davlin camp is a very short period m whicht impart an amount of practiTal soldiering information, but both Nos 1 and 2 Battalions acquired some most necessary and useful knowledge, Snecially the matter of conform£s to he ordinary routine duties of a ffmmtarycamp. ,»*_}£* $?«£ l^-hn-.iour was good is shown by tne 5£3 .on_- Ptoed in the ?u»n tent Moreover, some of these were pntthere owing to unintentional mistakes Speaking personally, Major Murray said he never wished to go Sto cJmp with a better set of yolunBS the No. 1 Battalion.