ENGINEERS' CAMP

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 125, 30 May 1939, Page 4

ENGINEERS' CAMP

WEEKEND MUSTER

About sixty-five officers and men of the 2nd Field Company, New Zealand Engineers, entered Trentham Camp on Saturday for training. The unit was commanded by Captain E. I. Hubbard,. with Captain H. A. Jones second in command, assisted by Lieutenants .R. Pemberton, V. L. Connolly and F. H. Stewart, with Lieutenant *P. G. Monk, N.Z.S.C., adjutant. Lieutenant R. Harris assistant adjutant (depot), and Staff-Sergeant R. Baigent, N.Z.P.S.

The of Saturday was devoted to musketry practice, at which all must qualify, and the Lewis gun section received instruction in the firing and care of the weapon under - Staff-Sergeant Baigent. Officers of the unit fired the annual revolver course. In the evening promotion examinations were held, the results of which will be announced later.

On Sunday the scheduled engineering tasks were carried out by the sections, No. 1 section, under Sergeant Hutcheson, erected a swinging derrick. Commanded by Second-Lieutenant Connolly, No. 2 section erected an observation tower approximately 20 feet high. Though the structure was. perhaps _ little reminiscent of Heath Robinson, the engineering skill and ingenuity employed were obvious to the discerning eye.- - ... No. 3 section under Lieutenant Pemberton, constructed- a water tower, using the 2in tubular scaffolding. The job was carried out in a particularly neat manner. Second-Lieutenant Stewart commanded No. 4 section, composed entirely of -new recruits, and they were instructed in the intricacies of knots.

Tasks were completed by 3.30 p.m. and at 4 p/m. afternoon tea was served in .the messes. The final parade was dismissed at 4.30, and the unit returned to Wellington by railway buses. • This was the final weekend camp to be held during the training for the military year, and the commanding officer expressed his pleasure at the work done during the camp and commended the keenness and enthusiasm of those who attended.