INFANTRY IN CAMP.

Auckland Star, Volume XLIII, Issue 73, 25 March 1912, Page 7

INFANTRY IN CAMP.

THE THIRD REGIMENT AT PAPATOETOE. HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL TRAINING. The week under canvas spent at Paipatoetoe by the Third (Auckland) Kegiment of Infantry (Countess of Ranforty's Own) wp.s concluded yesterday, when camp yvas struck, iind the troops marched back to town, a distance estimated at sixteen and α-half miles.

The opinion of the commanding officer (Lieutenant-Colonel Bartlctt) and all those connected wit'i the camp in that It has >been an immense success from every point of view. On leaving town each o( the older companies contained a big sprinkling of recruits, while the three others wliich went to make u.p the total of eleven units were composed: entirely 6i new men. In spite of this,] however, a spirit of tho keenest enthusiasm pervaded the whole force, and the rapid progress made by the proved a continual source of astonishment to the officers and instructors, who took every opportunity of complimenting the men. The value of a period of continuous training was well shown by the rapidity with which the youths who had been enrolled under the compulsory training scheme learned to march and handle their rifles. The officers and instructors knew exactly the right, attitude to adopt when Uiero wn« work on hand, and a carefully varied course of instruction helped to krep up the enthusiasm of nil hands. A good deal of time was devoted to equad and section drill, and, in addition, skirmishing, semnpho-e, Aiming, judging distance, and Swedish physical exercises were taught. Tho older companies also did other work of a more advanced character. Tho α-ppearance of the men on pit m<l? VM the occasion for much favourable comment by visitors to thl camp, one officer pxpirsains the opinion that he had never seen a regiment containing so marry recruits drill with such precision. A further tribute wns paid by one of the instructors, who mud that it would take six months to teach recruits at Home as muoh us the men had learnt In a week

Tho conduct of tho men in camp wal unusually roo<l. for th<; crime sheet win blank throughout the week, ami not n single ca*o of drunkenness, rami , undrl tho notice of tho authorities Tho oulv trouble experienced wan on Friday night when some canvp-broakcru endeavoured to get past the guard, and one man was scratched accidentally with n bayonet close to the left eye. The evidence at a court of inauiry which was held on Saturday morning showed that a previously published account of tho affair ota?gyrated Us importance. Tho injured man, alter having tho cut washed by tho doctor, was a-ble to return to duty, nnd no 'blame whatever v»n« attached to any member of the guard. In the matter of amusements the moil were well catered for. Tho day's worij ceased every afternoon ul four o clock, and the parade-ground was tfven over to a seven-a-side football tournament, {or which nineteen teams entered. A plentiful supply of reading ma-tter wai sent in by the V.M.C.A., and the piano in the recreation tent was much need. Two excellent eampfire concerts were giren, one on Wednesday and the otlicr on Saturday evening. Songs and musi cal items were given by offkere anil men, nnd one private was also discovered who wuld juggle skilfully with bayonet*, potatoes, and other'article*. At the last concert a dozen officers formed therneelves intoamiustrel troup (without tho drese and the burnt cork) and pivc an entertainment which caused roars of laughter. An excellent sporte with prizes given by the officers, wan held on Saturday afternoon, ami on Friday night the earliest part of the boxing and wrestling contests w failed nway a pleasant hour or two. The sports results are given elsewhere. THF- MARCH TO TOWN. Tho route march to town wee mo»t successfully carried out by the rcgimeut, the men again do-ing much better ifcao was expected. Camp was partially struck in the early morning, and a proportion, consisting of men who had bad corns or other infirmities, was left behind to do the final cleaning up. The •camping ground was left at 9JO, and tho men, numbering 712, with only a coup!e of brief halts, reached Sylvia Park, Pttpatoetoe, a little before noon. Thera some hot tea was »er»cd out, aad the nieu h?i a rest under the trees. On resuming the march the column wtus much troubled by dust, which rose in clouds from the roadway, but in spite of this the five miles hetween Sylvia Park and the Dilworth Institute, Keniuera, were covered in exactly an hour and a quarter, a quite remarka-bie performance con sidering that the road rises nearly 200 feet between the pointe. A stop was made at the Institute and the men were given a good dinner of tinned meat* after which Canon MacMurcay and the Rev. H. Dewsbury, who bad been in camp through the week, held a short service. The march was again taken up at 3.30, the band being now in tho lead, anil after travereing Khybcr Pam, Park-road, Symonds, Princes, Snoriland and Qneeii streets, the troope reached the Drill Hall an hour later, their arrival being witnessed by large crowds at different points en the route.

The men travelled in marching order, with greatcoats roliecJ, and for most of the way marched "at ease," though step and tune were never lost from start to finish. Smoking, talking, aad singing ■were allowed and even encouraged by too officers; and company war criee "'astonished the natives" all along the road. Popular songs helped to keep spirits up, and cheers were given for various pereons and institutions from time to time. Whole companies took to marking tan stop by shouting their distinctive letter, and qunstione and ii.iswers of the "Are we downhearted?" order were great favourites. However, when the more thickly populated wern reached the men were callefl ti> attention, and the march went on in s'lence.

It is greatly to the regiment's cred.it that not a single man dropped out, the ambulance finishing aa empty as when it left camp. The balance of the men entrained at Papatoetoe at noon, and joined their comrades at Remuera for lunch. The beat march previously carried out under the new training scheme •was that of the Otago Kegiment, which covered ten miles, but the Auckland Refriment'3 performance is a considerable improvement on that of the Southern men. It may be mentioned that Lieu-tenant-€olonel Bartlett and his officers •walked the whole distance with the men.