DEFENCE NOTES

Dominion, Volume 31, Issue 154, 26 March 1938, Page 3 (Supplement)

DEFENCE NOTES

Motorised Regiment To Go On Trek AMBULANCE CAMP Tactical Exercises By Signallers (By Liaison.) The Old Manawatu Mounted, now B Squadron, Fourth (Motorised) Regiment, New Zealand Mounted Rifles, is going into camp on the Aehhurst racecourse on Wednesday, March 30. This years training will be an eight days’ trek, the squadron leaving Ashhuret on Sunday, April 3, and returning on Monday, April 11. The route, of about 500 miles, to be lollowed and time-table of the march isApril 3: Leave Ashhurst and move to Levin. April 4: Move to Trenthain via Akatarawa. April 5: March through Wellington. The column will arrive at the railway station at 12.30 p.m. au “ move via Lambton Quay, Willis Street, Mercer Street, Cuba Street, Manners Street and Courtenay Place, and return to Trentham via Wakefield Street and Waterloo Quay. April 6: Arrive Masterton and bivouac at the Drill Hall. April 7: Weber. April 8: Waipukurau. April 9: Napier. April 10: Dannevirke. April 11: Ashhurst. , , Captain B. A. Norman will be in command of the column. The squadron will carry out tactical exercises during the inarch and on April 11 a detachment of the Palmerston Nortn High School cadets will .be taken to a position between Woodville and Dannevirke to represent an enemy attempting to deny the road through the Manawatu Gorge to the mechanical column.

Preparations for Camp. With the approach of camp all ranks are busy with preparations. Final parades for completion of uniform and equipment issues are being held at all centres, and a number of promising recruits are coming forward. This unit needs a few more recruits with motor-cycles; the uniform will include khaki berets, brown gauntlet gloves and knee boots. A liberal payment is made when the motor-cycles are used for training purposes. Vacancies also exist for a few drivers who possess lorry-driving' licences. This unit recently held a week-end bivouac at Marton. Weapon training and preparation exercises for camp were carried out. Parades have recently been held at Ohakune, Taihape, Hunterville and Levin. At the Taihape show Lieutenant Broome and members of the Taihape troop ably represented the unit m the mounted portions of the programme.

Field [Ambulance. This year the annual camp of the 2nd Field Ambulance was again held in Hawke’s Bay, but this time further north, with the second composite battalion at Hastings. The district more than lived up to its reputation for sunshine,_ and it was enjoyed to the full. The camping site allotted to this unit was a snug corner of the Tomoana Showgrounds, between belts of tall gum trees, whose shade was helpful in cooling the tents. In one corner was a wonderful artesian well which supplied refreshing water for morning and evening shower baths. It was a comfortable camp and most members were loathe to leave it. Corporal J. Thomson (tent No. 17) and the members of his squad won the competition for the best-kept tent for the week. The attendance at camp was not as great as was hoped, but a full programme of work was carried out. It included physical and recreational training for the first period each morning and demonstrated to some of these medical people just where certain muscles were situated. Lectures, with moving pictures, on the mechanised field ambulance work and a gas decontamination centre in use were very instructive. Later in the programme this decontamination of personnel who had been exposed to mustard gas was carried out by the men of the ambulance. The operator is covered in an oilskin suit, gumboots, gloves, gas helmet, and steel helmet, and armed with a large whitewash brush and a bucket of bleaching powder solution while the victim stands in his birthday suit. Mechanical transport was used for the balance of the programme, the co-opera-tion of the field ambulance with a brigade in attack, on defence, and in withdrawal. The country over which the exercises were carried out extended from Otane to Haumoana Beach. Many problems arose during these exercises, and after full discussion solutions were adopted. One that caused considerable trouble but was ultimately satisfactorily settled was how to convey the Army Nursing Service to The casualty clearing station. As the day of the exercise ne£r the Haumoana Beach was an exceedingly hot one the enemy was allowed to drive the troops into the sea. for a shot spell. The last day’s exercise wad carried out in conjunction with the composite battalion for the evacuation of casualties from the R.A.P. by bearer squads to a car relay post and thence by motor ambulance to the A.D.S and then on to the M.D.S. Needless to say those casualties felt rather warm wrapped in bandages covering as many wounds as it is possible for one man to acquire. Corps of Signals. The annual camp of the Central Depot, New Zealand Corps of Signals, was held concurrently with that of the Second Field Company, N.Z.E., on the racecourse at Dannevirke. Continued fine weather helped considerably in making the camp one of the most successful for many years. During the first week the territorial officers under Major Hunt, N.Z. S.C., worked through a succession of interesting tactical exercises. The N.C.O.’s and men received instruction in the elementary work of a number of subjects including infantry drill, musketry and signal training.

The last week was occupied wholly with signal training: cable-laying, communications by flag, lamp,' telephone and wireless, culminating in a day and night exercise in which all branches were working in conjunction. In an exercise such as thia the whole framework 1 is subject to a critical examination at all times to determine the reasons for delays, errors and breakdowns. These reasons are then brought up and discussed at the end of the exercise. In this way points which start as an individual error are shown to affect the working of the whole framework in some degree. Such points are seldom forgotten when the next exercise takes place. To a large extent the smooth running of the camp was due to the willing and generous co-operation of the public bodies of Dannevirke, and their efforts, and the fine spirit shown by the residents of Dannevirke toward the officers, N.0.0.’s and men were greatly appreciated by all ranks. Welluigtou West Coast Regiment. An interesting link in the Wellington West Coast Regiment’s alliance jvith the Hampshire Regiment has been forged by the other ranks of this regiment sending a Maori carving to the sergeants’ mess of the Second Battalion of the Hampshire Regiment. The carving, which was specially executed, depicts a tiki, symbolising manly and soldierly qualities, and it has been asked that the carving be retained as a mess ornament rather than be placed in the regimental museum. The Taihape platoon has carried out shooting at Utiku, and it is also hoped to arrange a night exercise there. This platoon is unfortunate in having lost the services of Major R. K. Gordon, who has been transferred to Wanganui, and Lieutenant F. R. W. Andrews, on transfer to Christchurch. Captain R. Schulze, of the First (Cadet) Battalion (Taihape District High School), is, however, giving the platoon his valuable assistance in matters military and social. The night operation, carried out at Marton, was a signal success from a training point of view and was enjoyed by all ranks. The first parades since the annual camp have been held, and were fairly well attended.

The training of guards fo the annual guard mounting competition has begun. Guards will bo entered from Taihape, Marton and Wanganui. Each platoon

of the Rifle Company and the M.G. Platoon enters one guard. Captain C. L. Pleasants, who will leave for England shortly, was met by some of the officers at a farewell dinner. The annual meeting of the Garrison Officers’ Club was held at the Drill Hall ou the evening of March 17. Regular meetings and lectures were held during the past year, and several valuable articles on matters of Imperial and military importance were made known to members.

The next week-end bivouac for the regiment will take place at Wanganui on April 23 and 24.