DEFENCE TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 21667, 12 March 1934, Page 3

DEFENCE TOPICS

HEWS FROM THE SERVICES | My P1.V101..] ‘ THE GAZETTE The followin': notifications have hocn published m the - ‘ New Zealand Gazette ': — Gazette No. 11. Lieutenant G. *B. Robertson. I lie Otago .Mounted 1 {ifles-, is transferred to the reserve of officers, class 1 fb). H.D. 11. Dated January 29, 1934. Gazette No, 12.—Second-lieutenant I. W. Hardic. Otago Mounted Rifles, the reserve of officers, class 1 (b), R.D. 11. Dated February 19, 193-1. Lieutenant M. D. Harvey, the Otago Regiment, to be captain. Dated August 23, 1933. NAVAL RESERVES WEEKLY PARADES The parades held on Wednesday and Thursday last were exceptionally well attended. 80'per cent, of both divisions being present at the roll-call. Classes of instruction were carried out in seamanship, wireless telegraphy, and visual signalling. The junior division is settling down to the various classes of instruction as detailed by the training officer (Lieu-tenant-commander A. U, Welch), and by the end of the training season members of the seaman branch should pass for able seamen, R.N.V.R., baying already carried out their sea time in H.M.S. Wakaknra. COMMUNICATIONS BRANCH Lieutenant 11. T. Roberts has now been appointed officer in charge with Lieutenant J. H. Seel,ye, and very fine results are being obtained. In the recent examinations held Leading-signalman L. J. Salter and L. J. Berryman were rated Act, Yeoman of signals, both these ratings having put in a lot of extra study at headquarters Ip pass this examination. VOLUNTARY TRAINING AND RIFLE SNOOTING Voluntary training and miniature rifle shooting will be carried out on Mondays in addition to official parade nights. As many as possible are asked to attend. Petty-officor A. M. Finlayson will be in charge of the range, to-night, when a further .practice for the Palmer Cup will be carried out. SOCIAL AND DANCE On March 3 the petty officers and leading seamen of the division held a social and dance at the divisional headquarters. Much credit is. due to those concerned for the manner in which the arrangements were carried out. ARTILLERY 12TH FIELD BATTERY There have been no parades of the ,12th Battery for the past three weeks, and the next will be on April 4. The break will enable members to come back keen and fit. and a very comprehensive programme is being drawn up for the new training year. Arrangements are well in hand now for the artillery ball, to be held at the Town Hall. 14TH MEDIUM BATTERY The Fourteenth Medium Battery returned to town on February 4, after a very successful week spent in annual camp and at live shell practice at Sutton, Central Otago. The attendance was very good, there being about ( ! 0 per cent of the battery’s total strength able to attend. The work for the first portion of the period consisted chiefly of battery manoeuvre and driving drill, including the occupation, of positions, and the rapid and efficient manner iti which the eight-horse teams, which are necessary to transport a weapon of this type and weight, were controlled speaks volumes for the keenness and efficiency of the men, particularly when one considers the somewhat reduced establishments under which the battery was working, and the consequent extra work that had to be carried out by all ranks. Also during this period of the course of training the survey date necessary in the shooting of long-range howitzers of this typo was compiled in readiness for the actual live shell practice which occupied the last two days of the camp. The shooting itself was of a very high standard, a number of series being fired, two of which were carried out with air observation, embodying the latest methods of artillery working in conjunction with the Air Force with excellent results. It is only when one sees a unit at Jive shell practice that one realises the large amount of training that has been carried out by all ranks during the year and the standard of efficiency that lias been attained. The next parade of the unit will he held at Central Battery at 7.40 p.m. on Monday next. THE OTAGO REGIMENT A COMPANY The first parade of A Company after returning from camp will be held at the Drill Hall to-night. At this parade the tentative arrangements for holding a dinner and smoke < concert will be completed. The Mosgiel Platoon of this company will parade on "Wednesday evening. 0 (M.G.) COMPANY The Machine Gun Company recoinmenced its weekly parades at the Drill Hall on Tuesday last, when the company’s equipment was unpacked from the limbers, in which it had been brought back from camp, overhauled, and returned to store; The company will pac&de again ta-monoa evening-

i GENERAL'S APPEAL j EMPLOYES' SUPPORT HEEDED Tit a urgent need to-day for the loyal •support of employers for Territorial military training carried .out under the system of voluntary enlistment of recruits was emphasised last week by Major-general Sir William Sinclair Burgess. General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military .Forces, when interviewed by a representative ol the Christchurch ‘ Press.’ He hinted that certain improvements on present methods of organising military training would ho introduced shortly. Sir William had carried out an inspection of the annual camp of the First Battalion. Canterbury Regiment, at Glcntunncl, ami had watched it at manneuvres just before lie was interviewed. In recent months ho lias made thirty-eight inspections of Territorial units in iraining covering the North Island and part of the South Island, and it was in the light of inquiries lie had made and information received that he made his observations. He wisiicd them to be applied to training ns a whole in the dominion. He said that the work of botli officers and men was ■highly creditable, especially when the difficulties under which present-training had to he carried out were taken into account. The main disappointment was that attendances at camps, in some instances, did not represent the full strength of units. While fully realising the seriousness of the difficult times being experienced by employers generally, he thought that a special effort should be made by them to put no hindrance in the way of men wishing to attend annual camps. Instances of such hindrance were fortunately not very common. Of course, many employees considered it unfair to ask employers for time off to attend camp. That was another aspect which lie hoped would be removed with the return of more prosperous times. VALUE OF COLLECTIVE TRAINING. The Territorial Force in New Zealand, maintained by voluntary recruiting, ■ was the only army in the dominion, Sir William explained. He considered full recognition of that should induce loyal and patriotic support, for the force.' it was a definite handicap to the work of officers to-day that training could not be progressive and collective because absence from camps or the continual recruiting of untrained men forced training to he largely elementary only, in order that it could remain at least partly collective and not merely individual. He considered that many present-day difficulties would disappear with the return of prosperity. Referring to the immediate future, Sir William added that he hoped that changes would be made in the near future which would mean definite improvements in the present system of training. Ho was unable to particularise yet, he concluded, hut one thing he would indicate—it was hoped that provision would be made in the coming year for greater recognition of the services of officers and men carrying on voluntary training.