Hide-And-Seek Tactics In Army Manoeuvre

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30544, 12 September 1964, Page 14

Hide-And-Seek Tactics In Army Manoeuvre

Fifty Ranger squadron, Special Air Service, troops will attempt a night landing on the West Coast in October. Their task will be to infiltrate across the Southern Alps to Canterbury without being caught or seen by West Coasters.

This will begin a 22day manoeuvre involving, besides the S.A.S M the First Loyal Regiment of the 28th Commonwealth Brigade, which will be flown out from the United Kingdom, and 300 depot troops from Burnham Camp. The commander of the invading force. Major W. Meldrum, said in Greymouth yesterday that he hoped all West Coasters would enter into the spirit of the operation. Major Meldrum said the operation would start with the Ranger squadron landing by canoe or collapsible boat from a New Zealand Naval craft somewhere between Greymouth and Hokitika on one of

the last three nights in October. They would attempt to cross the West Coast without being caught or seen and go on to Canterbury through one of four passes between and including Arthur’s and Lewis passes. There they would link up with the First Loyal Regiment and the New Zealand troops and accompany these units

back to the West Coast, to the Lake Haupiri area, where they would fight “a Viet Cong type of war.” This would Involve airrocket strikes by units of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Afterwards the S.A.S. and units of the Loyal Regiment would go rock climbing and mountaineering in the Arthur’s Pass area.