EFFICIENCY WITH WEAPONS

Press, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23401, 7 August 1941, Page 8

EFFICIENCY WITH WEAPONS

Home and Overseas Forces MINISTER DISCUSSES TRAINING , (P.R.) WELLINGTON, August 6. "No man will be sent into action until he has reached a high degree ot efficiency in the use of the rifle,” declared the Minister for Defence (the Hon. F. Jones), in a comprehensive statement on the weapon training of the armed forces, territorials, and the National Reserve in the Dominion m the House to-day, in reply to a series of questions asked some days ago by Mr F. W. Doidge (Opposition, Tauranga). . , , The Minister said that a total ot more than 3,400,000 rounds of .303 ammunition had been made available tor the training of the Territorial Force and the National Reserve during the last training year, and that since the war began more than 6.600,000 rounds ■had been expended by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in its trammTho questions asked by Mr Doidge touched on rifle shooting practice for

territorials at Waiouru, and for the National Reserve at Auckland. He also asked whether the Minister had observed, from evidence given at the inquiry into the death of a soldier accidentally killed at Miramar, Wellington, that although engaged on vital points duty, he had no knowledge whatever of how to use a rifle. An other question was whether the Minister had noticed a statement •by Colonel Row, recently returned from the Greek campaign, that while tm standard of the rifle shooting of our

men overseas was now good, it was poor when they-arrived in Egypt, we finally asked what was the Government’s intention, in view of the Returned 'Soldiers’ Association s resolution urging that the National Reserve, territorials, the Home Guard, and all other defence forces should be,®}y en adequate shooting practice until they became proficient marksmen. “Weapon training is so arranged that men do not carry out-range practice until they, pass certain tests called ■tests of elementary training, Mr Jones said in his reply. if on firing preliminary practices they do not achieve a definite standard, they are sent back' for further instruction.” This v/as done to avoid waste of .ammunition. It was quite likely'that "some'men did, in fact, shoot only twice during their three months training at Waiouru. That was not of great moment, as there was ample opportunity during out of camp training for them to complete their practices The allegation that a large number of the Auckland National Reservists could not hit the target was contrary to fact. The average score at weapon training was 97, points out of 180, and the lowest recorded was 26. ■ .

Miramar Accident

Discussing the Miramar accident, the Minister said that the.man kdled was not a fully-trained soldier; but there was no evidence in the inquiry to the effect, that he had no knowledge whatsoever of how to use a rifle, por was there the least, suggestion that the accident was due to lack of trainingRegarding Colonel Row’s views, Mr Jbnes said it was realised that the standard of rifle shooting of our men arriving in Egypt was not: up to the standard required for active service, and it was one reason why the Government insisted upon, and received, an assurance that the New - Zealand Divisiori would not be employed on active service until it was fully trained and equipped. Colonel Row did not state : that the standard-of shooting, was poor but that it was not up to the standard required. He had reported that the standard reached in New Zealand was not reproduced in Egypt, for the reason that the different conditions of light on the desert upset the troops at first, and loose sand from which they had to fire in Egypt made rifle shooting more difficult. “I may state that the amount of shooting and the standard reached by the New Zealand Expeditionary Force before. leaving New Zealand is entlrely dependent on the time available for training before embarkation,” said Mr Jones. “The training undertaken is carried out thoroughly, and is continued overseas until all concerned are thoroughly efficient.” The annual rifle course laid down for the Territorial Force provided for an allotment of ammunition greater than that allowed in any part of the Empire, with the possible exception of India, where it had apparently been foupd necessary to increase the allotment for training native troops. There was also a large “pool” allowed in New Zealand for extra practice for backward shots. Moreover, a generous allotment of .22 ammunition was made tp the Territorial Force for the trainihg of recruits. The National Reserve being composed of men- who had been previously fully trained, the allotment to those units was not so great as to the Territorial Force. It was. however, adequate for the purpose of “brushing up” their previous training. Arrangements had been made for an adequate supply of ammunition to the Home . Guard during the next 12 months, the allotment being based .on the recommendations of General gir G“uy Williams.