“SHOCK” TRAINING

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 21604, 5 January 1945, Page 4

“SHOCK” TRAINING

WOMEN COMMANDOS WORK IN EUROPE LONDON. Week-end after week-end, for many months, small groups of middle-aged women have cycled to special camps in the country to undergo commando training. _ . . They are volunteers for the Guides International Service, who will' go to liberated Europe to help in rehabilitaCarrying a rucksack weighing 25 pounds, they run and walk over di hcult country; they drag two-wheeled trucks up hill and down, through swamps and over streams for as much as six hours on end, and without food; sleep in the open in barns. While at the camps they cook in the open. Besdes taking part in the commando- courses the volunteers attend lectures on subjects they may need when they ,go “into action’—from baby welfare and to cooking and distributing rations. Already 400 volunteers are trained or in training. But more are wanted between die apes of 31 and 00, pio•mred to spend at least 12 months abroad. They will get no pay. but will receive pocket money of from !>/- to 10/- a week. When they have completed their training, the women, ail of whom are Guide Leaders, go lo a special enmn. where they are put through a rigorous test. Having passed, they are teamedup into the groups who will work together on the Continent when the time domes. . Funds are being provided by children throughout the country, who have organised collections and so far raised over £32,000. .-