OFFICERS TRAINING AT HOME

Press, Volume L, Issue 14917, 16 March 1914, Page 5

OFFICERS TRAINING AT HOME

GENERAL DAVIES'S APPOINTMENT.

(krom oir own |,O.\]X)N, February (i. Brigadier-General H. H. J>avies, C.H., will, in October of this year, complete bis term s>s Commander of the titli Infantry Brigade at Aldorshot, and already his succes*or in the command is named. It is stated on the authority ot —The Times" that Major-General .). L. Keir, C.8., now in command of the South Midland Territorial Division, will succeed General Davies. lieneral Keir is o7 viiars oi age, and enured the Koyal Arlillefy in lie eeived in the? Boor War, and for four years commanded the Allahabad Urigade in India. Another of those appointments is very interesting. To the Ist infantry Brigade Major-General Sir William XRobertson is nominated. General Uobortson, who is at present Director of Military Training, and is in charge ot the Staff College" at Camberley, k-alto-gether~a remarkable soldier. He roso from thi> rank? after senilis twelve years as a non-commissioned soldier, and overcoming all obstacles, he has forged ahead untii he now occupies one of the first posts in tho Army. Hβ has seen much active service, and has held important v osts > including that of Assistant Director of Military Operations at the War Office. The nest appointment of General Davies will bo looked forward to with considerable interest. As his present appointment terminates about a year before that of General Godley in -New Zealand, there is naturally come speculation as to whether the Now Zealand officer will be offered the position ot G.O.C. in his own country. RELIEFS FOR NEW ZEALAND. Captain C. M. Gibbon (Ist Itoyal Irish Jj'u&ilieis) and Captain C. H. -vmcdonalcl (Ist Warwicksmrw), who are proceeding to Now Zealand in April, are to succeed Captain Cochrane DM.O., at headquarters), and daptam l'imvell (C.5.0., 1-alir.ci-ston North), rospectively. Captain Gibbon was on the staff throughout the &oii?a African War, and was afterwards signalling officer to a column. He was at Colenso. Tuo-ela Heights, Pietcr's Hill, and the relief oi Ladysmrth, besides lmportant actions m I'rans-vaal and Cape Colony. Ho is married. . . Captain Macdonald's service in the Boer War was not quite so comprehensive, but he also went through the campaign against the Zakka Is. ho Is and the Moh-.minds on the North-west Irontier of India. He pas-sed the btnff Collego at Quetta, and Captain Gibbon that at Camberley. Two New Zealand officers have graduated at the Staff College, Camberley, this month, namely, Major G. b. Kichardson. who has taken «» Colonel Robin's appointment at the AN ar Office, and Major M. M. Gardiner R.N. /..A. Maior Gardiner is now attached to the Or.i'naiice Department at Aldershot f»r experience. He will probably gooutin October Tho officers admitted to tho Staff College for the new terms are Captains R. C. Chesney. ' K-*'-'':*'' Melvill X.Z.S.C., and It. B. bmythe, Lieutenant W. W. A. hum, N.». S C after spondinp some time getting a-'prolimmaiy oxpeiienco of aviation at Hcndon lias now gone to the Central Flviti" School at Salisbun- Plain i» order to ipialify for an Army pilot s certificate. , ' . I/eutenants Turner and Davis are going ' through their gunnery course at Shoeburvness, and they will attend the practice" cawps at Salisbury .Plain before leaving for tho Domimou, probably in the antunin. BiSLEY Meetings. The War Office seems to have accomplished its object of making the liisley rifle meetings something more in the nature of Ar.ny competitions. Hitherto Bislev has been the Mecca of the bull seve shot, not always the most useiul sort of marksman for Service purposes. Now after a long discussion between the War Office and the liisley authorities it has bL-en decided to reform the programme no ns to give greater «n----cour.igement to marksmen shooting under Service condit ons and at bervice targets.