ARMY HARVESTING SCHEME

Press, Volume LXXIX, Issue 23946, 13 May 1943, Page 4

ARMY HARVESTING SCHEME

WORK ALMOST COMPLETE With the gathering of the harvest, the Army's task of helping the South Island to fulfil its food-producing obligations is almost complete. Potatoes are still being dug, and the ground prepared lor autumn wheat sowing, but the greater part of the work was finished some weeks ago. Much of the preliminary work for the harvest, for example, the arranging of camps, cooking facilities, and transport, fitted in with the usual Army routine for field operations. With the advantages of resources in manpower, accommodaiion, and quartering, the Army was in a position to adapt itself smoothly to an essentially civilian job. Travelling time was saved as much as possible. Harvest can.ps were pitched in the middle of an area, and all the (arms in a given radius were worked according to a prearranged time-table. Some units of battalions and regiments were so spread out that commanding officers f-equently had camps spread over hundreds of square miles. Signals sections were thus given valuable training in maintaining communications. Not all of the men who worked on harvesting for the Army had had previous experience of farm work. Bank clerks, factory workers, and office workers, in many cases, had their first experience of farm life in the Army. . Army cooks were har'd worked in the harvest camps. Appetites were whetted by hard wo r k, and in one camp there was a request that the scale of rations should be increased to provide for bigger breakfasts. The Army’s record of health was excellent throughout the harvesting period. In return for the work done by the men, farmers co-operated well in providing entertainment, and many Army units found the hospitality they received better than could be found in many of the towns within leave-period reach of military camps.