COAST DEFENCE INFANTRY

Auckland Star, Volume XLVII, Issue 68, 20 March 1916, Page 6

COAST DEFENCE INFANTRY

IN TRAINING AT MOTTJTAPU. NINE DAYS' CAMP. The annual period of camp training of the Coast Defence Infantry Detachment of the Third (Auckland) Regiment was concluded on Saturday last, when the | men returned to their homes after nine ; days' useful and instructive military j work at Motutapu Island. The camp, I which had previously been occupied by ■ the Third (Auckland) Regiment, was | pitched on ideal ground at Home Bay, , some twenty-six terts being used for ■ the accommodation of the men, about 250 in number. There were also under canvas the members of the Onehunga Band—now gazetted to the detachment I —and several unattached senior cadet non-commissioned officers. The camp commandant was Licut.-Coloncl J. P. Stevenson, who was assisted by Lieut. A. L. Denniston as adjutant. Tho officers and men of the two companies forming the strength of the detachment were conveyed to and from the island by launches provided by membcra of the Auckland Motor Boat Reserve. The course of training, which was of an elementary nature, consisting of company, platoon, and section drill, did not commence in earnest until Monday Inst. On Saturday, March 11, the day after the arrival of the men. some useful work was done In the field, and further manoeuvring was carried out in the middle of last week. A sham fight was arranged for Friday last, but after blank ammunition had been served out early in the morning the weather became so boisterous that the day's arrangements had to be abandoned. The camp was thrown open on the Sunday to visitors, and several hundreds of the guesta of the officers and men were entertained at afternoon tea. During the week the companies were inspected by Colonel li. W. S. Patterson. Commander of the Coast Defences, and Captain H. L. Garland, of the Headquarters Staff of the Auckland Defence Office, and a visit was also received on the occasion of a sports gathering on Thursday last by Lieut.-Colonel C. Harcourt Turner, in charge of the garrison at Motuihi. A feature of the day's time-table was the bathing parades, which were held at 7-30 a.m., 12.45 p.m., and 4.45 p.m., the latter being compulsory. The early morn-; ing parade was seldom largely patronised,! but those at midday and at the conclusion of the afternoon were generally attended by the majority of the men and officers. The swimming parades were always carried out in proper military order, the charge being sounded on the bugle as a signal for the men to enter the water, and the retire being played when it was considered the bathers had had sufficient time for their swim. Several very interesting lectures were delivered during the camp by the chaplain attached to the detachment, Rev. W. G. Monckton, whose addresses upon the war, illustrated by lantern slides and sketches, were greatly appreciated. sA lecture upon "Camp Sanitation" was delivered by Major P. A. Lindsay, the camp doctor. Two camp concerts, one provided by the V.M.C.A., and another contributed to by the men and officers, were also held. The weather up till Thursday last was one of the best, but heavy rain, accompanied by a fierce easterly wind, which blew direct into the bay, set in early on Friday morning, and the men were confined for the best part of the day to the shelter of their tents. The V.M.C.A. marquee was the only tent to give way before the force of the gale, but fortunately no further damage was wrought by the elements.