WAIOURU TO BECOME PRINCIPAL AREA FOR TRAINING OF N.Z. ARMY

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23326, 8 August 1950, Page 6

WAIOURU TO BECOME PRINCIPAL AREA FOR TRAINING OF N.Z. ARMY

(Special.) WELLINGTON*. August 7. AVaiouru, in the centre of the North Island, is to become New Zealand’s principal military camp, the only one capable of providing field training facilities for a brigade group of about 8000 men with artillery tanks and motorised equipment.

This has become evident from the Government’s decision last week to let a contract for permanent buildings at 'Waiouru Camp to cost over £500,000.

The climate is rigorous, the camp being 2600 ft. above sea level, but experience has proved to the Army authorities that if good protection against wintry weather is provided the conditions are satisfactory and the weather generally is clear though cold in winter. The area on the south-eastern side of Ruapehu occupied by the existing Army camp and Navy wireless station has been recently extended by the purchase of an additional 40.000 acres, thus providing space for large-scale operations which to be effective, must include the use of live ammunition. Though the military area is now measured in miles rather than acres a great expanse of country is required when a brigade organisation takes the field and becomes indenendent of its permanent base for a week or more. In no other oart of New Zealand can the service find sufficient room for training in the field on an adequate scale. This was a handicap in the last World War. The mobilisation camps in both islands filled an important role in the preliminary training, but the real battlefield manoeuvres, such as can in future be conducted at Wnioum. bad lo be centred on Maadi after the division had arrived in Egypt. Trentham Hole Diminishing

How will the creation of a great central military training camp affect the existing establishments in other parts of New Zealand? Trentham Camp is the only one substantially concerned. Its diminishing role has been evident for several years in the increasing amount of civilian occupation of its area.

However, the Trentham ordnance depot is still a big organisation well situated for handling military supplies on the wholesale scale. For this reason the ordnance depot is likely to remain at Trentham where the Army will also retain the rifle ranges so useful in peacetime training. With the development of Territorial training Papakura Camp, near Auckland. and Linton, near Palmerston North, will retain their usefulness. The South Island will continue to be similarly served by Burnham, near Christchurch. All these camps have value for mobilisation purposes, but for training on the largest scale under conditions similar to active service they are too restricted by the surrounding peacetime activities, residential and farming. Hence the big building programme at Waiouru to which the present New Zealand Army School at Trentham must ultimately be transferred