A GOOD DRAFT

Evening Post, Volume XCI, Issue 146, 21 June 1916, Page 8

A GOOD DRAFT

WORK OF THE 14ths

REVIEWED BY CHIEF OF STAFF

The 14th Reinforcements were addressed upon the result of their training by Colonel C. M. Gibbon, 1.G.5., Chief of the General Staff, at Trentham Camp this afternoon. " The Mounted Rifles, I .consider," he said, "are the best trained draft that we have sent for nearly a year. They had better opportunities and a longer period of training. It is very satisfactory, and I hope that the standard of the Mounted Rifles will be kept up, if .it does not get even better. Their musketry is also a great improvement on the musketry of the last three drafts. This is probably due to the fact .that they are the first complete reinforcement to be put through the full routine working of Featherston Camp. ."The artillery draft is a good one, and, judging by the practice made yesterday with shell on the field-firing range, their training has been very satisfactory, v "The Engineers are a good draft. They have been through the full course of training, and I think have shown an improvement on the last draft." He hoped that the training of the next few drafts would not be seriously affected by the very regrettable accident they had the other day. "We have lost a first-class officer, whom we cannot replace, and another who will be away for two months. It cannot be helped. The Signalling Engineers at Featherston have had more training and more practice in carrying out their training in conjunction with the artillery and ma-chine-gun in field-firing. I trust to hear when they arrive at the front that their training is considered very satisfactory. I am sure it will be. The Wireless Reinforcement are a good lot—all picked men. i

, ." Our infantry has been through a fall course of training, with a few interruptions, including the Easier holidays. I am satisfied with the field work. . It- has been very well done. The trench warfare in this camp lias produced good results, because the men have taken great interest in it, and have worked quietly, and done what they could to learn whatwe could teach them. I .am sorry that the musketry cf the draft has shown a falling-off. I am unable to explain it. The weather has been good. Before you get to the firingline' you will have to undergo another course of musketry, with another rifle if possible, and I ask. you to use every endeavour to try and perfect yourselves in your musketry. Remember, 'good shooting is very closely allied with discipline, and you want to look after your discipline if you are going to shoot well. "On the whole I am very pleased with this draft. The ,m<sn are physically fit, and the turn-out we had at to-day's parade was the, best we have had'in this camp. Every little counts. Smartness counts for a great de;n. Wherever you are try and trim out as smartly as you did at to-day's parade, and .you will get credit for it.1' Col. Gibbon went on to remind them that they were going to Franco or Flanders, and he hoped that when they arrived there the front would already be in Belgium, or Germany. He spoke to them regarding the need for discipline, and reminded them that then' real test would be the battlefield. How they came out of it wouia rest with themselves. He urged them to. get to the front, and noto fall out by the way. The last draft, from this cause, had lost more men than any preceding draft. He wanted 'them ■to act like the. sths and 6ths, and put up a better record iri this respect than any preceding draft, so that they would arrive at the front full strength. He -also emphasised the importance of saluting. He wished them all good luck, and utged them to do their best, than which they could no more.