SOLDIERS & RECRUITS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 2969, 5 January 1917, Page 6

SOLDIERS & RECRUITS

s FLOCKING TO THE CAMPS BUSY TIMES AHEAD Tiio influx of recruits for the Tiventye fourth Reinforcements and officers and n.c.o.'s of the Twjcnty-sevenths into ls Trentham was delayed somewhat yesu, terday owing to the south boat being 55 delayed by tog and to the troop train ,t which was bringing a largo draft of 1_ men from Auckland being held up owing to a delay to the Main Trunk cxJr press, which preceded it. These reIU eruits were from "Auckland City and !,f Hamilton. The southern men reached Trentham about o'clock yesterday, 1,, and the Auckland draft also reached i_ the camp during the afternoon, after spending 27 hours in the train. The r . Nelson and .Marlborough section of tho j Canterbury quota will arrive to-day, )'■ a.iul the remainder, except those from ! the West Coast, to-inorrow. The West <1 Coasters will arrive on Sunday. Most : C of tho drafts are well up to strength, j. There was a considerable shortage in j! Wellington City. Tho recruits are cont. sidered to be a good all-round draft. During this week and up till to-day ,! there have been no reinforcements > r troops in the camp, except the officers and n.c.o.'s of the Twenty-fourth Reinn forcenients. The return of tho men ; from leave begins to-day and will finish l to-morrow.' So that between this and i- Monday large numbers of troops and i. recruits will be. entering tho camps, el As the Twenty-fifth Reinforcements c and the officers a;d n.c.o.'s of the c Twenty-eighths are to begin mobilis[l ing on Tuesday next, the Twenty-fourth ■. Reinforcements will move on to Feai- therston about Mojiday. This means s that the Twenty-fourths have to receive ii their full equipment from tho Camp Quartermaster's stores before Monday. • The stores were busy enough yesterday, o To-day and to-morrow the rush of work 0 will be heary. In other departments . also there will be a rush to get the s Twenty-fourths completely equipped . and sent to Featherston, whero the.v will go through iJi? greater part of - their training. So far, tho number of > recruits for the various arms which . are located at Featherston has not been large. That camp will begin its busy 1 time after this week, and, like Trenti ham, will continue to he busy for sonic j time afterwards. Tho Benior draft in camp-at present , is tho Twenty-first, which is at 'j'rentt ham. the >Twenty-secmids and TwentyI thirds being at Featherston. , The Twenty-seconds wijl march over the . Rimutaka Hill in about ten days time, [ and will finish their training at Tront- [ ham in tho usual way