WAR IN BUSH AND MOUNTAINS

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23748, 21 September 1942, Page 4

WAR IN BUSH AND MOUNTAINS

Training For Troops In New Zealand

RIGOROUS CONDITIONS (P.S.S.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 19. Training in living, fighting, and travelling in bush, hill, and mountain country is being undertaken on an extensive scale by the Army in New Zealand. Combatant infantry will be trained and further toughened to fight under the most arduous terrain conditions in this country. Should the occasion arise, the skill they will acquire would be useful in any one of a number of theatres of war, says the “Dominion.” This training is going to do a double job for the country—first, an essential military one; second, the removal of the deer, wild goat, and wild pig menace to grazing lands and forests. This menace has become particularly serious since men who were once engaged in shooting these animals are now largely in the armed forces. There will be no fancy equipment for troops doing this training. They are going to train and fight in the adequate general purpose kit provided for the whole of the Army. There will be no mountain boots, rucsacs, sleeping bags, alpine tents, crampons, and other like equipment of the peace-time invader of the back country. Every man will carry his own food for the day when hunting, and always carry his issue service mess tin for use as billy and frying pan. . Every Safeguard Being Taken The training will not be confined to experienced deerstalkers, bushmen, mountaineers, or those merely keen for sport, as the object of it is to train every officer and man and to enable whole units to operate as efficiently in bush and mountain country as anywhere else. Every safeguard is being taken for safety and the welfare of the men. No recruits or men not qualified in weapon training will be included. Nor will any man not physically hard and medically fit. Each party will be accompanied by medical personnel. A number of Army personnel of wide experience in directing deer destruction operations as field officers of the Department of Internal Affairs are available to units as mountain warfare instructors, and will instruct, organise, and advise. Certain areas will be set aside for the exclusive use of the Army in this training. It is not proposed to send troops into the most remote mountain fastnesses where a high degree of mountaineering skill and special equipment are necessary. Activities will start in easier country, and move progressively into the back country as the training advances. Rigorous conditions will obtain and be prepared for. Stalking the Deer

The troops are going to stalk the wary deer as though he were an enemy and, if observed, consider themselves under fire and act accordingly. As every well-trained soldier knows, the basis of all fleldcraff is the individual stalk. There will be the stalking of deer by individuals and then, against the usual small bunch of deer, by pairs. Then there will be the coalescing of pairs into sections to stalk and engage mobs of deer. In sbme locations it should be possible for whole platoons to undertake drives against deer, introducing platoon tactics. Map and Compass Work The whoie of the training gives unlimited scope for map-reading and compass work, and patrolling. Opportunity will be taken for platoon contests in raiding with considerable cross-country treks to raid opposing platoons. Units on thtf training will fend for themselves.- They vill be away several weeks at a time and take fresh meat, for the first two days, and a tinned reserve supply for two days. All other meat used will be obtained by shooting. Other rations for the whole period will be taken by units when they set out, bread excepted. They will take a' week’s bread and biscuits, and flour to make their own for the rest of the period. Deer skins have a good market value (4s 3d a pound for first grade and 4s for second grade, dry weight), and the men will be encouraged to skin the deer destroyed. Detailed instructions will be given every unit on safety precautions, equipment, and clothing, protected birds and game, fire prevention, care of civi/an property, avoidance of cruelty to deer, and the care and marketing of skins. An. officer who will be closely associated with this training. Major G. F, Yerex, N.Z.S.C., General Staff, Army Headquarters, has had special experience in the factors involved. He inaugurated the Government deer control scheme 10 years ago, and has a probably unexcelled practical knowledge of the back country of New Zealand He will be able to bring this knowledge to bear in conjunction with wide military experience.