FORTY-MILE MARCH BY 1ST BATTAIION

Press, Volume C, Issue 29599, 23 August 1961, Page 14

FORTY-MILE MARCH BY 1ST BATTAIION

More than 800 officers and men of the Ist Battalion, New Zealand Regiment, arrived at the Little Malaya jungle training area near Oxford late yesterday afternoon after a 40-mile march in full battle order that had taken them almost 15 hours. The column set off from Burnham Military Camp, the battalion's headquarters, at 8.30 am. on Monday. It averaged about two miles and a half an hour. It reached its overnight base at Darfield at 3.30 pm, set off again yesterday morning, and reached its temporary base area at Little Malaya just after 4 p.m. The route was through Aylesbury, Kirwee, Darfield. and Sheffield, across the Waimak, rlri bridge and on to Vie’ H.ll and Little Malaya. The pa tern of the march was the same on both davs—so minutes’ marching and 10 minutes" break and smoke period every hour. Except for a three-ton vehicle for the use of soldiers with sore feet (there were none) which trailed the marchers, none of the battalion's vehicles moved

with the column. They joined the battalion when it stopped at Darfield.

On Monday’s march hot meals were supplied in vehicles from Burnham. Lunch was taken at Kirwee. where the battalion stopped for 45 minutes. The marchers halted for the night about a mile and a half past Darfield, close to a pine plantation. Most of the soldiers spent a comfortable night in pup tents.

Between 8 a.m. and 8.30 ajn. yesterday the battalion set off again, attempting to average three miles an hourconsidered a good marching speed for a battalion on the move. Food on this march was eaten from 24-hour ration packs carried by the’ troops. Last night the battalion camped in the Little Malaya area, and today the men will: move into allocated company’ positions in the bush itself, camouflaged and ready to begin field exercises. The march was led by the battalion’s commanding officer (Lieutenant-Colonel L. A. Pjtarce).