RAILWAY BATTALIONS

Evening Post, Volume XCIII, Issue 28, 1 February 1917, Page 8

RAILWAY BATTALIONS

IMPORTANCE OF THEIR WORK.

With 60 much going on in tho Dominion in the way of military training, the work being done by such units as tho'Railway Battalions is rather lost sight of. During tlie present week, Major J. L. Sleemaii, 1.G.5., Director of Military Training, inspected Nos. 7 and S Companies at their evening parades on Monday ami Wednesday The work shown consisted of expert engineering construction, signalling, bridge building, otc. At the conclusion of his second inspection, the Director of "Military 'training addressed all ranks,, and congratulated them on the efficiency, discipline, and general bearing they had .shown on parade. He pointed oo* the value of having the Railway staff trained in military matters, and quoted as an f-xample the. fine work done in England. Within 48 hours of the outbreak of war 1li» Railway staffs in England worked to such extraordinary effect."that 350 trains arrived punctually and eafely at their destination, all containing troops, vehicles, and hor.=es of the Expeditionary Force. In addition, for the first throe, weeks of the war one train, complete in i.'ll dvtiiil-S arrived every ten minutes at i.lie olacf/ o! embarkation, without a single minute's delay or accident. This could only have been achieved with a Whly organised and well-disdiittlined HailwH-- staff understanding l.he requirements/^ military conveyance. He cv r , rct W .limstelf as well satisfied with t.Ko vio.U h*. had seen, and impressed on al! ranks the importance oi continuing ?« improve their efficiency with a «ow t* arriving at the same high standard »z now exists in the.' Railway Corps in Ensland antLFran^