Soldiers Return From Fiji Jungle Exercise

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31134, 10 August 1966, Page 6

Soldiers Return From Fiji Jungle Exercise

Exercise Tropic Dawn, a jungle training exercise carried out in Fiji during the last two weeks by 57 men of the Ist Battalion Depot, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, was “completely successful in every possible way,” said Captain L. J. Lynch, the officer in charge. As part of the survival training in the Waindawa jungle area, the New Zealanders had to live off whatever they could find. “All we had were matches and machetes. Fortunately there was a variety of fruits and plenty of taro and yams. We didn’t have to kill anything for food,” said Captain Lynch. The Chief of the General Staff (Major-General W. S. McKinnon) attended the exercise during the first week. Captain Lynch said he was accorded a kava cere-

mony, as was the detachment. In response the New Zealanders held a hangi. Captain Lynch said he was sure much would be gained by the Army doing its jungle training in Fiji. General McKinnon said earlier this month at Burnham that the practice would be continued. The R.N.Z.A.F. Hercules CI3OE, in which the men returned to New Zealand, landed at Wigran at 2.20 p.m. yesterday. Many of the soldiers brought home souvenirs and fruit. The men were greeted on their return by the former commanding officer of the depot (Lieutenant-Colonel M. Tebbutt). Four Fijian soldiers were aboard the Hercules. They will attend courses in the North Island.