TERRITORIAL NOTES.

Auckland Star, Volume XLVI, Issue 60, 11 March 1915, Page 9

TERRITORIAL NOTES.

' (By RIFLEMAN.); FORTHCOMING PARADES. To-night.—A Battery; D Company, 3rd Regiment. - - - . Saturday, March 13.—A Company, 3rd Regiment (musketry). Monday, March 15.—Field Engineers: P. Company (detachment); B Company, 3rd. Regiment.Tpesday, March 16.—P. and T. Company (detachment); Coast Defence Infantry: No-. 4 Platoon (Onehunga), No. » « Platoon (Devonport), and No. 7 Platoon (Birkenhead).

Thursday, March 18.—D Company. 3rd Regiment; A Battery: Coast Defence Infantry, No. 5 Platoon. Saturday, March 20.—D Company 3rd Regiment (half-day): B Company, 3rd Regiment (whole day). TRAINING CAMPS. February 22 to March' 14.—llth (North Auckland) M.R., at Whangarei. March 2 to 14.—Dargaville section. No. 5 Mounted Field Ambulance, at Whangarei. March 5 to 13.—Coast Defence Infantry, at Brown's Bay. March 5 to (North Anekland) Regiment, at Ruatangata. March sto 25.—D and E Squadrons, 4th (Waikato) M.R., at Tauranga, March 18 to 30.—3rd (Auckland) Regiment aud No. 1 Field Ambulance, at Otahuhu. April 6 to IS.-r-Engineers and Signal Company, at Nguruawahla. April C to 18.—(ith (Hauraki) Regiment, at Paeroa. April 6to 18.—G Battery, at Hamilton. April !) to 27.—16 th (Waikato) Regiment. April 19 to 27.—A Battery, at Brown's Bay. April 10 to May I.—A, B and C Squadrons, 4th (Waikato) M.R., and No. 5 Mounted Field Ambulance (less Dargaville sec-

tion), at Morrinsvllie. May 3 to 15. —Mounted Signal Troop, at Hautapu. May 3 to 15.—3rd (Auckland) M.R., at Te Papapa.

The Coast Defence Infantry Detachment, at present in training at Brown's Bay, will strike camp on Saturday.

-Sergeant Hutchinson, of - - the Coast •Defence Infantry, has been appointed to a post .on the Permanent Staff as SergeantInstructor.

Auckland employers should note that tbe 3rd Regiment training camp, to be held at Otahuhu, will date from Thursday next. Territorials who are short of drills will require to put in-the--first four days, but the bulk of tbe men will go Into camp ou the 22nd for nine days' training.

To-morrow night, at the" Officers' Club Room. Major C. R. Macdonald: the Ueneval Staff Officer, will deliver the-first of a course of lectures, to the. officers of.'lke Motor Reserve (Auckland section). The subject will be "Map Beading and" Reconnaisanee." Major C. Rhodes, O.C. the Motor Reserve, "has notified all officers that they are expected to attend.

Next to the V.C., the most coveted of all British, military decorations is tbe Distinguished Service Order, generally styled the D.S:O. Like the V.C., It is given for distinguished service on-the field, of battle, but is only awarded to commissioned officers. The badge of the Order consists of a good cross enamelled white, having on one side In the centre, within a wreath of laurel, the Imperial crown In gold upon a red enamelled ground.

Tbe Commandant has approved of reserve officers being called up for training, and their services utilised in the annual camp. These officers, together with regimental officers, may attend more than one camp, but this attendance at more than one camp must be voluntary. Rail passes and rations, however, will be allowed all officers who offer inelr services to assist at camps other than at their annual training. Unattached list (b) officers are provided for uuder paragraph 2D2, "General Regulations and Its Amendments." These, too, can attend extra camps on the same conditions as regimental and reserve officers..

' Medical officers have some curious experiences' when putting the volunteers for active service through their fitness tests.. The main feature or the eyesight test. is the reading of rows of letters of varying sizes and at varying distances- Confronted with this test one man had to confess that although he could see the characters clearly enough, it was Impossible - for blm to read them, as he did not know the alphabet! Colour blindness has been very little In evidence. Plenty of men could not name various shades of a colour, but it was because of lack of knowledge rather than defective vision. To the ordinary man crimson, scarlet, maroon, cardinal, and certain shades of pink are all red. Nice distinctions ore not Insisted upon, providing the man does not include blues and greens amongst his reds.

A story Is told at one of the recruiting' centres of a very casual young man. and his teeth. He bad Teally a very good set of teeth (he had apparently 7a. lively remembrance of the dentist's bill), but he had left them at home. He offered to go and bring them, but be returned later and explained in a troubled way that he had searched the house and could not find them. He had had a set made some time before, but he did not like them, and therefore did Dot wear them, and he supposed that his mother must have thrown them out. The cow—a ferocious and warlike animal— ■ gets on very well with ouly a lower set of teeth, but there Is not yet a vegetarian section In the British Army. PRACTICAL PATRIOTS. A notable degree of enthusiasm pervades the Field Engineer branch of the National Reserve. Already it Is about 120 strong, c.nd there Is room for up to 180 or 200, 'but ouly for keen men. After that number has been reached the roll will close, because It is desired to make the unit absolutely efficient, mid there are not the instructional facilities to- deal with a greater number. Lieutenant A. R. Cari penter Is the officer in command, and he has with bim Jin. W. A. Cummlag as second In command, Sergeant-MajorTNotley, and Quartermaster-Sergeant Geo. Baildon— a " strong" staff that Is a guarantee'of efficiency. The force comprises a very large number of ex-Volunteers, but all are men thoroughly well qualified. to become expert in the special branch they have taken up.. So . far' they have been doing infantry drill, but now they, are going Into engineering work proper—bridging, carth 1 works, ■ electrical' appliances, and signalling.. They have been generously assisted by numerous local firms, who have given them donations of gear that will be Invaluable .in their training. This is just about the most practical form of patriotism that.has. so far been noted in a very wonderful public movement. The Engineer reservists are so keen that already they have begun to clamour for two drill nights In the week.

NATIONAL RESERVE The attendance at the parade held on Sunday last In the Domain was most satisfactory, and the discipline and control of the various units left very little to be deslr*ed. It is, however, a great pity" that a certain element In the community- cannot be eliminated, namely those personsTwhb :hnve not tbe slightest shadow of regard for 1 arrangements made, nor any respect for.public speakers. The same crowd' who--over-ran the square marked out'for the parading of the Beserve were responsible for the behaviour during the proceedings .which called for* rebuke from Archdeacon • Caldcr, and It SB'to'"be hoped that -on-auy-futnre occasions the disturbing factor:: will:, be conspicuous by Its absence. ' ....-■ The remarks of the speakers on' Sunday were listened te—with close attention, and it is quite certain that gatherings of ■ this nature, where speakers of different denominations meet on a common platform, must ■be productive of mutual respect amongst the members, and- a, closer-feeling of esprit de.corps. ... . ... . The most recently-formed unit- is 'the Auckland. Electric . Tramway Company's, formed this week. With close on 150 membens already, and-a record for first-class combined work, this unit will doubtless prove a highly-successful one, : ' In. view of th.c possibility of the question being raised.- "What is being done with the subscriptions?" it might be as well to state that, except for the broad item of stationery, and the bonus voted to. the general secretary, the funds are absolutely intact, and two public auditors bave been duly appointed by the members, in accordance with the rules- of—the—organisation. These gentlemen, will in due ..course audit the ■books of the Reserve, and present their report in the usual, manner- ■■.•»?■'' -- The-thotpr-cyelists' corps has been'"duly formed, and, ■ judging from the enthusiasm ■displayed,, promises to-be- "a-- very live branch. The members parade on Monday evening next in O'Rorke Street, -'for' infantry drill, and-arrangements are-"being made for a course of - instruction In sig-' nailing, which forms a prominent pit*: of the motor-cyclist's duty. ' V