WEEK UNDER CANVAS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 48, 26 February 1926, Page 5

WEEK UNDER CANVAS.

CAMP AT HOPUHOPU. — i TROOPS-* EXCELLENT SPIRITS. \ SMART IMPROVEMENT SHOWN. | The largest military camp yet held j at Hopuhopu, the ideal position about I three miles this side of Ngaruawahja, | will conclude to-morrow, when about 900 officers and men of the First Battalion, Auckland Regiment, will complete a week's training. The occasion marks the first time on which the battalion has been under canvas since the conclusion of the war. Ideal weather has prevailed, and the camp has been j an enormous success from all points of j view. ! Under the command of Colonel E. G. : Fraser, the troops have been given a comprehensive course of training, rang- , ing from elementary rifle exercises on the parade ground to entrenching and battle manoeuvres in the hills. The commanding officer has been fortunate in having the co-operation of an excep- ! tionally capable body of officers, most j of them men with active service to ' their credit. The adjutant is Captain P. L. Villar, M.C., of the South Wales Borderers, an exchange officer from India, while the second in command is I Major L. V. Portepus, M.B.E. These, j and the other officers, have combined | with the colonel in doing everything ' possible for the trainees, and for bring- j ing them to a standard of efficiency I that one might think it impossible to achieve in the limited time. Wonderful Improvement. But credit is due, also to the trainees themselves, for without their showing the right spirit, the efforts of the officers would avail them nothing. Illustrative of the commendable manner in which the men settled down and threw themselves into their training is the amazing improvement they showed , from almost the commencement of the I camp. At each tucceeding parade they I presented a better sight. Even on the l third day the commandant himself was most enthusiastic about their showing, while on the fourth day it was difficult to believe that a large number of the men who marched so very well, keeping straight lines, and their rifles at the proper slope, had come in raw recruits, with absolutely no previous experience under canvas. Many of the senior officers commented on the steady "up-MH" improvement, one of them dubbing the men "the quickest lot he had ever seen." In all branches of the work the trainees showed the same discipline and aba- 1 - *to learn, with the result that those who came into camp "green as grass" as far as the military was concerned will leave to-morrow, a credit to those who trained them and to themselves. Colonel Fraser has one regret, and that is that he is not able to keep the men for a month. "A week is too short," he said. "Give mc a month, and you wouldn't recognise them." Apart from the military aspect of tho camp, it has proved most beneficial from a health point of view and there is not a trainee but will admit that he feels all the better for his week at Hopuhopu, The open air is a wonderful tonic for. those who spend the greater part ot their lives in town, and although they were given plenty of work to* do, the ' territorials did it outside in the sun, i which made all the difference in the' world. They had plenty of first-class food. Colonel Fraser watched their interests personally and saw that they were made comfortable and that the recreational side of their training was not neglected. Concerts were arranged nightly, a party of performers coming from. Hamilton on Wednesday evening. There are some parents who class military camps as places where their sons are worked like galley-slaves, and then fed on mighty little, that little being bad. Those who are able to take part in the camps and see the actual conditions, know better. Grumblers we have with us always, and, despite a few at Hopuhopu, there was no ground for complaints, and any that were heard were quickly swallowed up in the praises of the great majority. The men all appeared to be very happy, and despite a rumour that reached the ears of Mr. W. . J. Jordan, M.P., and caused him to wire > the colonel about ptomaine poisoning, there was practically no sickness among them. Sore feet was the major complaint, and this was caused, in the main, 'by the trainees wearing very light boots, and in some cases, shoes. The Signallers. I Special interest always attaches to th« \ signallers. A squad of about 40 en- , thusiasts, all volunteers, came into camp without knowledge of even the alphabet. They have been trained on the hills by , Captain H. S. Harrison one of the recognised experts in his own particular sphere. To-day the men are able to signal in all possible ways, including telegraph, heliograph and many visible means. The machine and Lewis gunners have fired many thousands of rounds at i the range about five miles from the camp, i A survey of the week would not be complete without reference being made; to the work of the staff sergeant-majors, who assisted in the training, especially to Sergeant-Major Landman, who carried out tirelessly the complicated duties of camp sergeant-major. On Tuesday, the camp was visited by Major-General R. Young, C.8., C.M.G., D.5.0., officer commanding the New Zealand forces. He was accompanied by Colonel Smyth, Colonel H. R. Potter, C.M.tf. and Colonel J. Duigan, D.S.O. The general was very pleased with the efficiency shown by the troops, and told them so. He also congratulated Colonel Fraser and his officers. This morning, Ins Excellency, the Governor-General (Sir Charles Fersrusson) inspected the camp. Sports were held this afternoon. i