DEFENCE TOPICS

Evening Star, Issue 21881, 19 November 1934, Page 3

DEFENCE TOPICS

FROM QUARTERDECK TO PARADE GROUND [By Sam Browxis.] ARTILLERY 14TH MEDIUM BATTERY The week-end camp of the 14th Battery, held at Central Battery, wag well attended. A comprehensive syllabus was fully carried out, and marked progress was made in all branches. When the unit proceeds to uts annual camp for live-shell practice early in ‘the new year, however, the full value of this course will be proved. OTAGO REGIMENT PROGRESSIVE WORK Last Tuesday evening the Otago Regiment (less the transport) paraded at the Drill Hall and spent the earlier part of the evening in syllabus work. A Company and the intelligence Section of Headquarter AVing prepared their Lewis guns for range work, while D (S) Company worked on stoppages and gun drill. The signal section, under Captain M. D. Harvey, spentthe evening working across the harbour in communication with H.M.Si Dunedin. The transport section' carried out part of the classification tests for the drivers, and very satisfactory results were obtained. The tests will be concluded at a half-day parade to be held at Central Battery at 2.30 on Saturday next. At the conclusion of the parade the unit carried out ceremonial work under Captain P. AV. G. Spiers, M.C. MUSKETRY PARADE A Company and Hie Intelligence Section paraded at the Pelichet Bay Rifle Range on Saturday afternoon tor the completion of the annual classification practices, some gpod shooting being recorded.

NEXT PARADE The unit will parade at the Drill Hall to-morrow evening to carry out further ceremonial work. The pay for home training, for the half-year, will be issued, and the regimental film of the Labour Day week-end bivouac will be screened. Dress: Drill order. WAR GURIQ CAUSES ALARM Roys playing in the allotments at the rear of Lower Farnham road, .Aldershot, unearthed an object measuring about 3ft and weighing threequarters of a cwt. People in the neighbourhood were convinced that it was a bomb, and a resident informed the police, who put an urgent telephone call through to the Royal Army Ordnance Corps. An officer hurried; to the place, cast one look at the find, and the scorn of his voice sent the crowd melting away—it was a 6in trench-mortar, unloaded. An old soldier had kept it as a curio, and a few weeks ago he buried it to get rid of it.