STAND TO!

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 46, 29 April 1942, Page 5

STAND TO!

HOME GUARD NIGHT TEST ALL UNITS MUSTER The detonations of gelignite charges last Monday evening as a prearranged signal, sent Home Guards jne-n of the' Whakatane district; hurrying to their respective mustering points. Some three hundred men answered the nal of which half were from the Whakatane Borough. The summon& was synchronised with a broadcast order to units/ at Waimaua, Wainui, Taneatua and Ru&toki and the result with one or two minor hitches was in the wordS of the O.C'. Major C. R"Wilson, eminently satisfactory. !The signal in the first instance wfts not heard by many living at a distance, but nevertheless phone and p/ersonal contact ensured that practically all men were contacted and in ftinety-nine eases hastened to their /appointed posts. As instructed 24 (hours provisions were carried, plus military equipment, blankets and ground sheets, the whole idea being to have everything in readiness for instant action as in the event of a genuine emergency. It was something of an eye-opener to witness .such scenes in Whakatane where possibly the only comparable incidents in the past date back to the volunteer days of the Maori war.

From the various mustering points sontries were posted and challenges rang out at intervals as the unwary civilian happened to stroll into the outposts. One individual with an eve to testing the training and discipline reported that he was challenged on every occasion and made to give an account of himself. In one case, young guardsmen insisted on marching him off to their commander in order to get fuller information. From the point of alertness the general muster was all that could be desired and a roll call indicated that in practically every unit all were either present or accounted. for. At the conclusion, a general assembly took place at headquarters where Major Wilson voiced his appreciation of the manner in which the signal had been answered. The test he said, was the forerunner of nlore serious practices later in the winter, when all units would take up their appointed battle stations and a genuine rehearsal of night action would take place. The muster signal- he admitted was as yet unsatisfactory as the reports could not be heard in many parts of the Borough. However further experiments could be made in this direction and in a short time he hoped a more satisfactory basis would be arrived at. After answering a number of general questions regarding details of future 'alerts' the parade was dismissed.

EXPERIMENTAL ALARM

REPORTS STILL UNSATISFACTORY f In order to-establish something of the general effect of a fresh series of detonations, from a new point overlooking the Borough a second, or experimental alarm, was given on Monday evening about 10 p.m. Those in the immediate vicinity of the Show Grounds and near Kopeopeo and Apanui declared that the detonations fairly rocked the neighbourhood, but the reports were faint and even unheard at the Pah, Heads, James and Stewart Streets and Landing Road. In one of two instances guardsmen who had not heard the first alarm turned out poste haste for the second.

Reports will be received by the Home Guard authorities as to the nature of the second alarm next parade and future action will be based accordingly. In the County Reports c.f the 'Stand To' test from the County centres indicate that it was widely answered and carricd out with discipline and formality. Ruatoki mustered al' ranks, while at Taneatua and Waimana the attendance was equally as pleasing. L