TROOPS ARRIVING

Auckland Star, Volume LXXII, Issue 120, 23 May 1941, Page 8

TROOPS ARRIVING

ASSEMBLY IN FRANKLIN FIELD FORCE EXERCISES The concentration of territorials in the Pukekoho-Tuakau-PoKeno area for tho Northern Field Force manoeuvres from May 24 to June 6 was begun to-day when tho Sth Field Ambulance of the Medical Corps arrived at Tuakau from Cambridge camp, and the 3th Composite Company and the Ist Reserve Motor l ransport Company, both of the Armv Service Corps, reached Pukekone from Rotorua camp. Over 3000 territorials from the ij lty ' r A \f, !kato ' Kin S Country and bay of Plenty will take part 'in the exercises. The units in the manoeuvres will comprise the Ist Field Regiment of Artillery and the Auckland detachment of the Ist Battalion, New Zealand Scottish ivegiment. which will camp on Pukekohe racecourse: the sth Composite Company and the Ist Reserve Motor Transport Company will be on the Pukckohe showgrounds; the Ist Battalions of the Hauraki and Waikato Regiments and the Bth Field Ambulance at Tuakau; the 7th Medium battery of Artillery will be at Whangarata: the Ist Field Company of Engineers at Buckland: and the Ist Signals Company at Pukekohe. ine I-end Force headquarters will be at Pukekohe. Two rnits Excluded The only units of the force which will not be taking part are the Ist Battalion, North Auckland Regiment,-- members of which are not being permitted to travel owing to the outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis in Northland, and the Ist Mounted Rifles Brigade, which recently completed manoeuvres. Most of the units will assemble in the concentration areas to-morrow Special trains will convey the Hauraki and Waikato battalions their first-line transport going by road. Fully mechanised, the Ist Field Regiment will travel by road as also will other units from the citv. The first to move will leave at 9 30 a.m.

Advance parties from the units have been in the concentration areas since Tuesday erecting tents and making arrangements for cooking I nit training is scheduled to be carried out until Wednesday night and the Field Force exercises, in which the Royal New Zealand Air Force will co-operate, are to take place between May 29 and June 4 The remaining two days will be spent under unit arrangements.