SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN CAMP.

Press, Volume LXIV, Issue 13094, 20 April 1908, Page 4

SATURDAY AND SUNDAY IN CAMP.

"When hostilities were suspended on Saturday inorning tho outlyin<r troops •were* marched back to their headquarters, and the remainder of the day was spent in resting. As no orders were issued to the Bed fdrco to move out of camp on Sunday morning, the commanders of the different arms utilised the time in drilling thoir men. The mounted men were exercised with their horses, the E. Battery, under Lieut. Climie, doing sectional work with tho guns. Lieut.-Col. Creswell, commanding the Infantry Brigade, watched the No. 1 Battalion at battalion movements, and the No. 2 Battalion at drill by individual companies: Tho sections of the Engineers were busy overhauling stores, and as they had to collect their men and stores from positions as far as Sugar-loaf Peak, this took a considerable time. Colonel Hawkins, Director of Manoeuvres, after conferring with the umpires, decided that the positions held by the two forces when hostilities wore suspended should be occupied again by 5 a.m. this morning, when .it was expected a hot engagement would take ?lace in the direction of xaldhurst aud 'rebbleton.

On Sunday afternoon divine service was conducted in the camp by Lieut.Col. Chaplain, Itev. *W. S. Bean, the whole of the Red force being formed up on the Grandstand. Lieut.-Col. Bean preached the sermon, taking as his test, "Quit yourselves like men.' There was a la'tce attendance of the- public, the coll'-.cii'on being in aid of Nurse Mutide's Home.

At tho closo of the Church Parade the troops were formed up» on the infaptry parade ground, when Colonel Hawkins, Officer Commanding tho District, presented long service medals to Lieut.-Col. Chaffey (20 years) Lieut. F. E. Sandford, Christchurch City Guards (12 years), and Battalion-Sergt. .Major Hopkins, No. 1 North Canterbury Infantry Battalion (16 years). By half-past four tho camp had resumed its active servico work, the infantry making preparations to move out to their positions. A number oi tents were 6truck, waggons loaded up, and in readiness to proceed to the rendezvous where the men \rere to <_n.p till 5 o'clock this morning, when active operations were to commence. The mounted; men moved out shortly after midnight.