H. G. NOTES

Evening Star, Issue 24476, 10 April 1943, Page 3

H. G. NOTES

i blf 195a — ii

The Charlton Uun. | The Charlton light machine gu», in-1 vented bv a Hastings engineer and adopted by both the New Zealand and Australian Governments, is now part of the equipment of Home Guard battalions in the South Island. This machine gun has been in /production in •New Zealand since June last year, and has been on issue to the Home Guard for some time. Supplies are coming forward m good quantity, and instructional courses in the use of the Charlton are being held. The Charlton, which is also being manufactured in Australia, is a .303 rifle transformed into a type of improvised light machine gun by an attachment and certain modifications to its mechanism. It is operated by gas on a similar principle to the Bren and Lewis light machine guns, and used as a selfloader it fires 80 aimed shots a minute, with a reserve of automatic fire in ease of emergency at the rate of 700 to 750 rounds a minute. The magazine holds 30 rounds. The inventor of the Charlton is Mr P. Charlton, a young engineer who was born in England and apprenticed to the engineering trade at the firm of John I. Thornycroft and Co., Hull,, by his father, himself a marine engineer. Mr Charlton came to New Zealand after the Great War and established an engineering business in Hastings. When the present war began Mr Charlton and a friend discussed the making of automatic weapons. The possibility of converting the Lee Enfield rifle to fire automatically occurred to Mr Charlton after his friend, Mr Maurice Field, had suggested making a gun to.shoot a .303 rifle cartridge. He converted an old rusty Lee Enfield of the 'year 1898. and then converted a nearly new B.S.A. sporting rifle into a working model. The conversion of any firearm designed for hand operation into one. for automatic firing presented many problems, but Mr Charlton persevered, and the final result was so good that it was adopted by the Australian and New Zealand Governments.

Flagstaff Battalion. A Company will assemble at Mornington School at 0900 hours on Sunday for a full day on field exercises. The company will !be working independently on new ground, and new features will be introduced into the training. The usual rations will be provided for all ranks. C Company will spend a half-day training, parading at 0900 hours at the gymnasium. College street. Pioneer Platoon will parade at 0900 hours at the Drill Hall for a half-day training. B Company will hold an evening parade on Thursday, April 15. at Green Island, parading at 1930 hours. D Company will parade at 0830 hours on Sunday for a half day. Lines of Communication. The 29th Company paraded at Logan Park at 0830 hours on Sunday last, all ranks taking keen interest in the syllabus prepared by the officers and training staff. Of particular value and interest were the lectures on map reading prepared and given by Sergeant T. R. Thomson. All ranks received further instruction in grenade throwing, this course being preparatory to the practice to be held at the grenade range at an early date. .Included in the syllabus were courses covering musketry training and compass traverse. The n.c.o.s attended a further lecture on Wednesday, April 7, this being one of a series prepared by Sergeant-major I'aterson. . A full-dav parade is called for Sunday. April 18, at Logan Park, roll call 0830 hours. Usual mess kit to be brought.

Cargill Battalion. Cargill Battalion will oarade to-mor-row, the various companies assembling at the following times and< places;—A Company, 0930 hours, at Bunting's Store. YVakari; B Company, 0900 hours, at old Training College; C Company, "Wlo hours, at'N.E.V. Hall; D Company, 0900 hours, at Garrison Hall, I'ort Chalmers.

The units of Headquarters Company will parade as follows:—lntelligence section. 0900 hours, at George Street School; Pioneer platoon, working party, 08-15 hours, at George Street School ; vital point guards platoon, 0915 hours, at Logan Park ; petrol guards platoon, at Pelichet Bay. as arranged by the platoon commander. The medical platoon will co-operate with the various companies as detailed, iparading at the above times. The machine gun platoons of all companies will parade at their respective company headquarters at 0845 hours. The signals platoon is holding one of its periodic training bivouacs this week-end., Petrol Station Guards.

The petrol station guards platoon, Cargill Battalion, paraded as usual last Tuesday night, when they were visited by the petrol liaison officers. Lieutenants Hodges and Shaw. The routine tobe adopted on service stations was discussed, and Lieutenant Hodges gave a resume of the training received during the week he was at Burnham. On Sunday the platoon is to parade at 1345 hours at the Pelichet Bay shooting range for shooting practice. The platoon will parade as usual on Tuesday at 2000 hours, at 229 Moray Place.