CAMPS AND THE MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2834, 27 July 1916, Page 6

CAMPS AND THE MEN

SIXTEENTHS ON LEAVE

GENERAL ITEMS

The whole of the Sixteenth Reinforcements go on leave this week. The exodus from Featherston camp, whore the draft is in training, began on Tuesday. A largo number of men left for the south last night, while many were in the City. To-da.y the northern units will leave the camp by special trains. Good Stamp of Men. The way in which men of good stamp continue to come forward as recruits has been commented on frequently. The Nineteenth Reinforcements are promising to keep well up to, and possibly to excel, in this respect. Tho Cam]) Commandant at Trontham, Lieut-Colonel H. R. Potter, stated yesterday that the men already in camp, including large <lrafts from the north, are of a splendid type and likely to make excellent soldiers. In spite of the inclement weather the men appeared cheerful, and took a keen interest in their new surroundings. They were being shown around the camp in batches'of a dozen or so by experienced N.C.O.'s, who explained everything, including where the camp boundaries ran, and all the little details of camp life that are of use, to the recruits. "Fatigues, My Son, Fatigues!" Ono of a party of soldiers on fatigue duty was making heroics out of his dull tasks. "And after tho war, in the years to .come, my little grandson will come to me and say, " 'Grandpa, what did you do in the great war?'

"'Ajkl I will say to him,'" the soldier told his grinning companions, "J will Bay to him, 'Fatigues, my son, fatigues; That's what I did in the great war!'" An Odd Size. A recruit who took number 11 bools, and whose 6enso of humour was not very keen, found himself in 'a dilemma recently. His boots required mending, and he had no others to take, their place. .The camp cobbler looked over his stock pf footwear, but could not find any ll's to lend the man while his own wero being repaired. "Mo," ho said finally, "you'll simply have to wait till someone dies and then get his boots."- * This was a joke, but the recruit did not seo it. "What!" ho exclaimed. "Do you,mean to say I'm to go and sit down outside the hospital and wait till a man with No. 11 boots dies! It's horrible, and I won't do it." The Marksmen's Motto. What is regarded by the troops as an indication that supplies of ammunition -at present are ample is a printed instruction on the packages of cartridges sorred out to tho troops in camp. It roads, "Don't sparo the bullets," and is said to have an inspiriting effect upon the'men. Camp Appointments. At Trenlham Camp the following 'temporary appointments havo. been approved by tho Commandant:— B Company, 15th Reinforcements—Pte. G. E. Wells, Lcc-Corpl. W. T. Hodge, Lcc-Corpl. G. T. A. Henderson, to bo corporals; Ptc. R.' J. Wells, H. H. Preshaw, I. W. N. Mackie, to be lance-cor-porals. E Company, 15th Rcinforcement?.--Lce.-Corpl. A. M. Smith, Ptc. C. It. Tarrant, to bo corporals.