TERRITORIALS.

Evening Star, Issue 16050, 29 February 1916, Page 2

TERRITORIALS.

[By SxiEUißHsa. ] ttems of interest concerning Corps (Town and Country), Shooting, and Territorial notes generally will be accepted. Copy, addressed to “ Skirmisher," should be in hand not later than Atonday morning. . Captain R. F. Mitchell, who recently returned to Dunedin from the front, has gone to Invercargill to take up instructional work there. Captain Mitchell will remain for about three months in the Southland,district, and if well enough will then return to the front. The 12th (Otago) Mounted Rifles will go into camp at Gore from April 10 to 18. Lieutenant B. J. Kelligher (Coast Defence Detachment . 4th Otago Regiment) has been promoted to the rank of captain. Sergeant J. T. Hungerford has been appointed second lieutenant (temporarily) in the No. 2 Company > Field Engineers. A few tents xiow being available, units going into camp will be supplied with them if they so desire. This is good news, -as nearly everyone prefers a tent to sleep in to being rin a building attached to a racecourse. The Divisional Signal Company have decided on March 10 to March 18 for their annual camp,of training. The locality will be the Central Battery. The attendance at the annual meeting of the Otago Branch of the National Reserve was very pleasing, and if the enthusiasm was as good this part of the Defence Force would be in a flourishing condition. No doubt when the now Regulations come into force the Reserve will taka a new lease of life. Mr Douglas Hunter, accountant on the local Headquarters Staff, has been granted I the rank of honorary lieutenant. I No. 2 Field Ambulance, the Mounted i Ambulance, and in fact the whole of the j Otago medical service, went into camp at Wingatui on Saturday last- At the time of writing no particulars in regard to a | marching in state are available, but it is j understood that there is a large attendance i of all ranks. A good week’s work will be j carried out under the command of Major Fitzgerald. I Where a unit is short of officers for the i annual training camp, officers from other ] units, the reserve of officers, or unattached : list (b) who volunteer to do so may attend for duty with the unit having the ; shortage. These officers, however, will be I kept to a minimum in order that n.c.o.s i of the unit may have a chance to lead \ troops or platoons. Officers so employed mav draw Territorial pay and allowance, and free railway passes whore necessary will be issued. The Post and Telegraph Company, under Captain Worthington, paraded at the Pelicnet Bay range on Saturday for the purpose, of carrying out the annual musketry course. There was a very fair attendance, and considering the little practice this company have in rifle shooting some very good scores were registered. The course is uow almost complete, very few members having failed to fire. ■During the next few weeks Territorial units will be going into camp, and the Defence storekeeper and his assistants will bo kept very busy issuing and taking in camp equipment. For the benefit of young officers, and to save a lot of trouble to the permanent officials, I append a few points which should be of great assistance to O.C. units : Denim suits for issue to Territorials who have no uniform are available, and application should be made together with a requisition for other camp equipment at least a fortnight prior to going into camp. Application should also be made on Form D.,0. for the necessary train accommodation. An entraining officer should be appointed who, in conjunction with a railway official, should go through the train previous to entraining and take a note of the state of the carnages. An officer or experienced n.c.o. should supervise the -'trucking _ and unloading of horses, and every animal should be inspected before it is placed in the horse box, and again before the train leaves the railway yard. A veterinary official must value all privately-owned horses, and enter them in a form, which should be forwarded to District Headquarters immediately after close of camp. Sick horses should bo removed from the lines in camp and placed by themselves. The daily forage ration is 121b chaff, 61b oats, and 61b hay, with an extra allowance of 21b oats for draught horses. Units should provide their own regimental and company cooks, who will be allowed extra duty pay. Where it is necessary to employ advance or rear parties for the purpose of pitching or striking camp, these men will receive extra duty pay at the rate of 4s per day for each extra day. N.C.O.s and men employed in this duty will receive free rations in addition to pay of rank and extra duty pay. Acquitance rolls* must be made out in duplicate, and the original, duly signed by each man in camp, must be forwarded not later than the third day to the district accountant,, who will forward a cheque for the amount claimed. Members of the Government service, except those employed in the railway department, will not .receive any Territorial pay while attending camp. A list of fines inflicted, and the amount, must be forwarded to the district accountant at the conclusion of the camp. Chaplains will he paid in accordance with the field regulations. At the annual meeting of the Dunedin Athoncoum, held recently, a motion was carried that soldiers in uniform be welcomed to the institute. I am sure all the members will be pleased to see the boys making free uso of the reading room and the chess and draughts room. The Discharged Soldiers’ Information Department is asking the Mayors of towns, chairmen of local bodies, trustees of patriotic organisations, the Board of Agriculture, presidents of chambers of com--1 merce, and the general public to help the various patriotic societies to assist the department in obtaining employment for returned soldiers and generally to act as ite agents and advisers. Committees of these different bodies will be supplied from time to time with statements containing the names of men requiring em- ■ ployment and describing the nature of the employment which each man desires to obtain.

It is not generally known that a form of will is included in each soldier’s pay book, and should bo filled in. It is also advjsablo for each man joining the Expeditionary Force to make out a will which can be left in New_ Zealand. The Public Trustee, if appointed executor, prepares the will free. I mention this for the information, of thoso who will be leaving in the near future. A large number of Senior Cadets paraded at the Drill Hall on Saturday last. Prior to the route march Major ’Moller * addressed the battalion, and gave the young soldiers a few words of good advice. The smartness and general appearance of the lads were very commendable, and it has been noticed that during the past year or more, whilst their older comrades have been at the front, that the ■ Cadets have shown a great improvement in their bearing. They seem to realise that the seriousness of war necessitates their playing the game to the best of their ability. On their arrival at Carlton Hill on Saturday the Cadets were exercised at extended order drill, etc. AlTranks took a keen interest in the instruction, and on their return to the Drill Hall it wag gratifying to know that only one. Cadet had left the ranks, by permission. The signalling _ section, who also paraded, did exceptionally good work, and the bugle band played well. The marching of the battalion on the whole was very good. The Coast Defence Detachment of the 4th (Otago) Regiment paraded yesterday , morning, and route marched to Waitati, where the annual camp of training is being held. Lieutenant-colonel FredrTc is in command of the camp, and has with him' Captain Kellighor and Lieutenant ' Jones, while Major Bundle is in charge of the instructional staff. There is an attendance of a little over 200 in camp, and a good syllabus of- work has been arranged for the week. The Coast Defence Band, under Bandmaster Collins, is also in camp.