THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 826, 26 May 1910, Page 5

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

CLOTHING THE TERRITORIALS. ESTABLISHMENTS-PEACE AND WAE. The first material evidence of the transformation which is pending with regard • to the New Zealand army of home defence is the appearance of tho now field service uniform for the Territorial force. Hitherto the uniform of the forces has been distinguished by its erratic variety of colour and design, though influences have been successfully at work for some time past to bring about a little more unanimity in the matter of , clothes among the various units. Now, the principle of uniformity, in field service uniform especially, is to be gently, but firmly, applied. Consider, for example, the troops of tho Wellington Garrison: Two companies of the garrison artillery division wear the uniform of tho Koyal Navy, despite' tho fact that they belong to the land forces and have no connection witli warships—except to sink those of tho enemy when the occasion arises. The third company of tho samo division is differently uniformed. The officers of the division wear the uniform of tho Navy when, as a matter of fact, they should wear the uniform of the artillery. The dress is really a relic of .the past whon the Wellington and Potone Murals lived more on the water than they do now, and were not trusted to. handle tho bis guns .at the forts The uniform was cheap, comfortable, anil very popular. But sentiment is now to give place to military order in clothes as well as other tilings. In the riflo battalion the same nondescript condition of things- obtained in the regimental wardrobe. The field service uniform of tho Wellington Guards is a white tunic with dark breeches. Chaos ilso reigns in the wardrobe of the First Wellington 'Mounted R-egiment. Then came "K. of K." and his cold glassy stave of disapproval frozo the and ornamental sido of tho question of "clothes." The iieiv field service uniform is of . khaki, with just a tiuge of green in its appearance. The tunic and trousers oro neatly fashioned. AVhen the First Wel- . lington Rifle Battalion gets into its new clothes and parades about 800 strong, it will.be a khaki battalion. No more College Hides, 7,en!andia Hides, City Rifles, Guards, and so on—but A Company, B Company, and so on. In future one mast think in battalions, not In . terms of companies. Whon several battalions are assembled together the distinction between each will be denoted by the brass regimental number on the shoulder-straps, tlin particular colour of the "piping" of the shoulder-straps, and the regimental badge on the collar. The branch of the service to which a particular unit belongs will be denoted by tho colour of the facings—blue for artillery, for example.