DEFENCE SERVICES

Dominion, Volume 26, Issue 171, 15 April 1933, Page 18

DEFENCE SERVICES

News of Rank and File ON PARADE AND OFF Topics of the Moment (By “Liaison.”) The Medium Artillery Trophy has been lost and won. The unit to be congratulated is the 14th (How.) Battery, Dunedin. Especially keen this year has been the competition to decide which of the four batteries of the Medium Brigade would hold the trophy for the ensuing twelve months. Although neither of the two Wellington batteries was able to land the prize, both units did well in the competition; in tact, the judge in his remarks stated: “The work performed by the competing units was of a very level standard.” The runners up, the 17th. (How.) Battery, Lower Hutt, were highly praised for their efficiency, but were not able to go into annual camp at full strength, and so lost marks. The Medium Trophy has been competed for since 1928, but this is the first year that all four batteries of the brigade have been competitors, and this fact naturally added interest to the competition. The trophy itself is a very fine model of a 6-inch Howitzer, complete in every detail, and a credit to the N.Z, Army Ordnance Workshops, ■Wellington, where it was made. The value of the trophy is over £lOO. It has been won as follows: 1928- 17th. Battery (Lower Hutt) ; 1929- 17th. Battery; 1931-32, 19th. Battery (Wellington) ; 1932-33, 14th. Battery (Dunedin). , On Monday, April 3, the 19th. “Medium” Battery paraded at the Artillery Hall, Buckle Street, for foot drill and social intercourse. The “turn-out” was good. The foot drill —in view of the ceremonial parade to be held on Anzac Day—was beneficial to the new members of the battery, some of whom, while retaining memories of a heir days as “footsloggers” had not been able to devote much thought to the question of dismounted drill as carried but by artillerymen. The social intercourse consisted of a general “pow-wow” about things of interest to the battery, and should do much to promote the esprit-de-corps for which the 19th. Battery was always noted. This unit has had a varied career, being at one time a Submarine Mining corps, with headquarters at Shelly Bay, and later a company of Garrison Artillery stationed at Fort Ballance. Subsequently it became a medium artillery unit, its weapon being the GO-pounder guu. In 1926, the 60-pounders went to the Northern Command, and the 19th Bttery was armed with 62 6-inch Howitzers, a weapon which it has used efficiently since that date._ On Saturday October S, the 15th. “Coast” Battery held a daylight parade at Fort Dorset. The attendance, considering that the end of the traning year is approaching and the annual camp a thing ot the past, was good. Battery foot drill, gun drill, rangetaking, signalling, and the working of the defence electric .lights were practised. The last hour was devoted to “Fort Manning,” when the whole unit worked together under the Battery Commander, Major D. A. Carty. Several drill series were carried out during this hour, the object being to deal with varying forms of attack, and to train the personnel in its duties. The 'afternoon was a very profitable one to the battery, the members of which are looking forward to more daylight work. Like the other members of the Central Coast Artillery Group the 15th. Battery will tunl out on Anzac Day.

Field Artillery. The training now being carried out by the 2nd Brigade, N.Z.A., is chiefly concerned with’ courses of Instruction for officers and N.C.O.’s.

The St. Patrick’s College, Silverstream, on Friday last completed a week’s "Barracks.” On the concluding day, blank firing was carried out. The section, mostly recruits to Artillery training, acquitted themselves very creditably. The sporting activities of. the Battery clubs have for the meantime stopped. The Combined Services Cricket Club were runners-up in the Manawatu mid-week competition. At the final match of the season the Gunners required a clear cut win to anex the championship, but were four runs short when the innings closed. Meetings have been held in connection with the hockey and football, and the players offering promise a good showing in winter sports.

Flying Course. A casual course has been arranged at Wigram Aerodrome from April 20 to 29, inclusive. This course, it is understood, is intended to enable those who were unable to attend other courses previously arranged to have some training. Itis expected that some fifteen individuals will attend the course. In addition to other things the sj'Uabus includes training with armj- co-operation machines and bombers. The officer in charge of the course will be Squadron-Leader Findlay. Officer Commanding Wigram Aerodrome. Meciianised Bauds.

A'phjitograph recently reproduced in an English newspaper, depicted a "mechanised army baud in Denmark.” This consisted of a bus containing a gramophone, and fitted with large amplifiers, pointing both forwards and backwards. The photograph shows the battalion marching behind, preceded by an officer on horseback. It does not, however, extend far enough to show whether any troops are marening in front, and therefore it cannot be concluded whether the “band” is in the middle of its battalion or whether it serves two battalions. The idea, at any rate, is certainly a new one, and for this reason alone it will appeal to some. It will, of course, shock all those who delight in the “full dress” aspect of the Army. There are certainly very many things to be said in favour of its adoption. The variety of music would be very much greater and of better quality than that ordinarily produced bv. the regimental band; it would, of course, be very much cheaper, it could play without fatigue on the most trying marches, and could still continue, after arrival in camp, to cheer up drooping spirits. The production of music in the Army costs both the country aud the officer quite a considerable sum. Bauds vary , in number, from the forty men of the normal infantry battalion band to the 200 of the R.A. band. The men are paid out of public funds, but officers arc called upon to pay considerable subscriptions towards the cost of instruments and music. Bandsmen, it is onlj’ fair to add, are trained to carry out certain duties in war, and their place would, in many cases have to be filled by other men were this not the ease. But, with the appearance of mechanised units, such as tank battalions' aud armoured car companies, a new form of band becomes necessary. It is probable that it will take the form of a vehicle of the sort described, with or without a wireless set.

Imperial Policing. To have travelled 24,000 miles in less than six years is the feat which the Ist. Battalion The Northamptonshire • Regiment will have accomplished by the end of this year. According to the editorial in the regimental journal, this battalion in 1027 travelled from Blackdown to Shanghai via Hong Kong. In 1929 it was sent to Malta, from where in the same year it travelled to Jerusalem to restore peace between the Arabs and the Jews. The next move was to Egypt, where the battalion still remains, but it has flown to Iraq arid back again, in connection with trouble among the Assyrian levies. It is now preparing to leave Egypt for India. This enormous mileage is not without precedent in the annals of our army, but it is a side of its activities to which little publicity is given except in the recruitingslogan. "Join the Army and see the world.” Yet it is an example of the most valuable work which can be accomplished in peace—the maintenance of peace. Wherever the battalion has gone it has found trouble and smoothed it away as much by its good temper and sense of humour as by its appearance of armed efficiency. To this power of peaceful persuasion, a natural inheritance of our race, we owe, to a greater degree than we possibly realise, the building up and the maintenance of our Empire. The Northaqiptons arc worthily carrying on these traditions.