INTO COLD WATER
TEACHING THEM HOW LIFEBELT TRAINING WASHINGTON. Instruction in swimming of Armytroops sent for training in amphibious operations has been abandoned in favour of so-called "water familiarisation" with life belts.
, Colonel G. P. Lynch, commander of the' Army training centre at the Nation's principal.base.for preparation of amphibious forces, said that it had been found possible to save considerable time in drilling troops in invasion tactics by the new method, with ■ equally satisfactory results.
"We used to concentrate on teaching troops to swim," Lynch said. "About 40 per cent of them couldn't swim when they got here. The job took too long.
"Now we teach them to swim with lifebelts on. This gives them confidence and takes away any fear of the water, which is the main thing." _
The soldiers practice jumping from landing boats 100 yards from shore in water over their heads. They wear inflatable lifebelts which can' be easily dropped and thrown away once they reach the beach. Even with full equipment, the belts keep them afloat and they soon learn to paddle ashore. Each man who cannot swim is paired with a "buddy" who can—a method borrowed from the boy scouts and boys' summer camps.
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Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 11, 14 January 1944, Page 7
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200INTO COLD WATER Auckland Star, Volume LXXV, Issue 11, 14 January 1944, Page 7
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