COASTAL GUARD

Evening Post, Volume CXXIX, Issue 136, 10 June 1940, Page 11

COASTAL GUARD

FORTRESS LIFE

PATIENT SOLDIERS AT WORK

NIGHT AND DAY VIGIL

Of all forms of military service undertaken by New Zealanders since the outbreak of war, probably the least known is the valuable work being done by several thousand Territorials and returned soldiers at various fortresses and other stations along the shores of both islands. There may be little chance of enemy forces appearing in these waters, but in war time no chance, however remote, can be taken. No thinking person could, therefore, contend that the. ceaseless night and day vigil kept over every mile of water surrounding New Zealand is in any respect unnecessary.

These fortresses and coastal watching stations are manned by Territorials, almost all of whom are under age for service overseas, by returned soldiers, over the age limit, or by men who have been declared medically fit for home service but not for service overseas with the Expeditionary Force. The few men on home duty who are eligible for overseas cannot be released because their specialised knowledge is required in the home defence units to which they are attached. The action of these young Territorials and returned soldiers in offering to undertake the work of coast defence has released a large number of men to the Expeditionary Force. Duty at a New Zealand fort is no sinecure. It is much more monotonous than other forms of armed service, and, because a state of readiness and a keen lookout have to be maintained day and night, many men must spend long hours of lonely vigil while others more fortunately placed are enjoying a night's rest. Of course, the duty is so divided that night and day work is shared evenly amongst all the men. Meals and living quarters are good, and ; particular attention is paid to all forms of recreational activity as an antidote to the boredom of garrison life. Recently a "Post" representative was given facilities to visit one of the fortified stations on the coast, where the total personnel is between 500 and 600 of all ranks. READY FOR ACTION. The visitor to this fortress is forcibly struck by the efficiency of all units and also by the general good spirits, . as much as by the power arid extent of the armaments. This fortress has, ; of course, been ready for instant action ■ at any hour of the day or night since the outbreak of war, and it is essen- ; tial, therefore, that gun crews, signallers, searchlight crews, and other : personnel should be experts in the ; work they have to do. They are thus in a different position from the mobi- . lisation camps, which are solely training stations. \ When the war commenced the for-1 tress was already garrisoned by a'\ heavy artillery unit which formed the nucleus round which the.present augmented garrison has been built up. One difficulty associated with the need for a highly-trained personnel is that as members of the garrison have at- : itained military age they have, almost without, exception, volunteered for . service overseas. This has necessitated , almost continuous recruiting to mamtain the garrison at full establishment and also the rapid training of new- ; comers to fit them for their duties. , The roster of duties at the fortress ; is arranged on a six-day cycle, with 24 hours' leave every six days and short leave (six to eight hours) every third day. This arrangement means , that the leave day is varied from week to week and does not fall always on the same day for any individual^ The garrison is divided roughly into three watches —one on duty, one in reserve, and one on leave. Every third day, when the short leave period is* taken, two watches "are in reserve for the greater part of the 24-hour period. During their period in reserve the men carry out foot and squad drill, small arms and light machinegun training, and anti-gas and antiaircraft practices. In addition to being artillerymen they are all now required to be proficient with, service rifles and light machine-guns. Extensive provision is also made for recreational training. NIGHT STATIONS. The men on watch provide gun crews, look-outs, searchlight crews, and sentries and pickets for all gun positions and magazines. They also provide battery observation post personnel, including telephonists and signallers. During the day the watch on duty are able to carry out gun drill, but during the night, hours, with the exception of those on look-out and sentry duty, they live in buildings known as war shelters, a few yards from their guns. On an alarm being given a gun can be fully manned in under 15 seconds. In some units the watch on duty at night is not permitted to sleep, but in others where the number is greater, one-half of the watch sleeps in the shelter while the .other half remains awake. A look-out is maintained continuously at every gun position and it is his duty to report anything of a suspicious nature to his section commander, who in turn reports to the battery commander. Look-out duty, one of the loneliest and most monotonous jobs of all, is taken by the men in spells of about an hour each. To pass away the time of the men on watch in the war shelters at night playing cards, dart boards, and other games are provided. They draw generous rations after the evening meal and are able to enjoy a; cup of ■, tea and a snack at fairly frequent intervals during the long night hours. The night watch extends from 5.45 p.m. until 7.45 a.m. and is four hours longer than the day watch, but, as has •been stated, it is possible in some cases to permit half of the watch to sleep at a time. The day watch which comes on duty at 7.45 a.m. continues until 5.45 p.m. The watch in reserve during the day are not permitted to leave the fortress and must not go beyond a point from which it can reach the gun position in two minutes. The men in reserve spend part of the day in drill and small arms training, etc., and in recreational training. At night the watch in reserve are permitted to sleep and occupy reserve huts within call of the guns. SEARCHLIGHT CREWS. The searchlights . operated in con- • junction with this battery and the • power-house supplying electric current Ito their big arc lamps are almost l wholly manned by returned soldiers. > The men on watch at the lights them- [ selves during the night have perhaps i one of the most 'trying jobs at the ' fortress. They have a roof overhead, > but the front of the searchlight housing j l must remain open continuously, and - during a southerly the icy blast blows i right into it. i Permanent quarters for the men not : on duty are provided in comfortable r roomy barracks erected since the outr break of war. The kitchen and dining . arrangements for the men are good and the food served is wholesome and