TAPAWERA CAMP

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVIII, Issue 91, 20 April 1914, Page 2

TAPAWERA CAMP

BIG MUSTER OF TERRITORIALS

EXPECTED

~r A /white city, inhabited by. khaki-clad.-.men",- will spring up on Mr'G. Macmahon's property at' Tapawera by ( nest ,W;ednesday'. (says' the - Nelson ■,MHiI)A; On .that day the Nelson ,Territoria.ls wiir take, up their quarters for 13 days' training. Men will be drawn .from Blenheimi fix>m e^very pprtion .tof the Sounds, from the valleys" of- Takaka and Collingwood, from the .fruit lands^f Motueka—in fact,' from every noolc and corner of the province/will the lads in khaki

arrive to do their duty, to their King and country. And many of them will have to ~do that -duty not only at some sacrifice to (themselves, but •also to thek- families. The comforts of "a- home will, for the time being, be- replaced * with the discipline of military life; with all its attendant necessary restrictions. ' There will be hardl work to do—nowadays we do not play at soldiering as was the case so often at the old volunteer camps; the idea, is to get down as close as possible to the stern reality of things and; give the embryo soldier an insight into the "real thing." Not that anyone hopes to see these piping days of peace disturbed; but, as Lord Charles Beresford once re-: marked, a nation's best surety of peaice is to be well 'prepared.' 'And it. cam, be. ea'id for the great majority of our citizen soldiers, that they willingly give up time to make themselves efficient in whatever branch of the-; service they may happen to Jbe placed. . , ■ ■ ■ ■. * WORK TO BE DONE. The camp a,t Tapawera should afford the "troops of all branches an excellent opportunity of doing practical work in conjunction with each other, an opportunity which only a- big muster of this kind dan give. Here the artillerymen, the mounted men, ana the infantry Avill be given the chance of carrying out manoeuvres .over a wide area of ground, working each in combination with the other, a,nd obtaining an idea -of ;what it really means.for comparatively large bodies of. troops-to be moved as from one central place. It is expected that over 1100 men will be under canvas, comprising 700 infantry, 400 mounted men, and 70 artillerymen. COMMISSARIAT DEPARTMENT. Very complete air,raingements are being^ made to carry out .the commissariat branch of the camp. Special cook-houses are being erected, presided orer by specially-trained cooks;' a. liberal allowance is provided for each territorial, and in this instance a, fruit diet has boen added to the ration. f The question of transport is an important one. It has been arranged that iho mounted infantry will proceed to camp on their own mounts; while the infantry-men at a distance will arrive in. Nelson either by boat or other conveyance. The whole body of infantry-men will entrain at Nelson station on. the 23rd -instant for the scene of the camp. About 200 bell tents and marquees will be erected to accomuaociafco lk& men, iaid. a

j of the permanent staff will leave for Tapawera on the 20th inst to arrange for the erection thereof. Th© social ' side of camp lifo will not be lost sight of, and in this connection the Church oi: England Men's Society is providing . a large marquee, which will be stocked with, literature, etc ;.'■ . MEN MUST ATTEND. In regimental orders issued, it is made clear that all absentees from . the camp who have not received perj mission to attend the casual camp (held later on) will be proceeded | against. No leave of absence from ; camp will be granted ony any' ground ■ except sickness, and only certificates from officers of the New Zealand . Medical Corps will be' recognised. j The weight of personal baggage of those proceeding to camp is limited to 701b. of officers and 201b. to other ranks: Every N.C.O. and man- must take into camp the following.articles: i Uniform (including slouch -hat), arms and equipment; blankets; knife, fork. -spoon, plate, and mug; washing and sharing gear, small mirror; two pairs boots, tin dubbin; change of .underclothing; two extra pairs of socks; . button stick and brass polish; ' boot | brushes; cloth for washing dishes. iNo motor-bicycles will be allowed in camp, and a-ny person, whether soldier or not, who brings tiny intoxicating liquor into camp will" be ■ punished by the civil courts, and "is liable to- a fine of £20. | RATES OF PAY. Although the men will be under canvas for 13 days, pay will bo allowed for only nine days. This at ■first sight-may seem an "anomaly, but under tile new regulations the four extra days will allow mounted men and country units to put in parades which will count as evening drills, wnic-h would otherwise have to be made up in single parades during tho year. This will prove of jmich convenience to tfioso living at a distance from a drilling centre. During t'ae extry four days free rations will

be provided. Pay will be issued at the following rates: Color-sergeants, 5s Gd a day; sergeants, ss; corporals, 4s Gd; lance-corporals, 4s; privates, 4s. THE DAILY ROUND. The daily routine will be as follows: —Reveille, .6.30-; coffee, 6.30; sick parade, 6.45'; ration party, 6.45; general parade for physical drill, i 6.45; men's breakfast, 7.30; officers'! andi sergeants' breakfast, 7.45 ; com- 1 pany orderly room, 8.15; company} parade, 9; battlion" parade, 9.30;! return to camp, 3 p.m.; regimental I orderly room, 4 p.m.; retreat, 5 5 p.it.; guard mount, 5.10 p.m.; men's I dirijer, 5.30 p.m.; officers' and sea-1 grants' dinner. 6.30' p.m.; first post, i 9,3) p.m.; tattoo, 10 p.m.; -staff f parade, 10 p.m.; lights out, 10.15 p.m. j INSPECTION BY GENERAL SIRI lAN HAMILTON. On Monday, 4th May, the camp ! •will be inspected by General S,r lan ' Hamilton,-Inspector-General of Oversea Forces. B>, will arrive in Nolson on a battleship, and during his visit wili also inspect t*he cadets. The camp will be in charge of Colonel R. A. Oliaffey, V.D., who will have for Ins staff officer Captain F. H. Hudson, N.Z. Staff Corps. Liuet.Colonel W. H. Bryant, V.D., will have command of the infantry ivgi- j nuent; the mounted rifles will be ; under the control of Majorl IT. 08. I Deck; Captain N. Adams will com- | mand the "H" Battery, N.Z F A.'; \ amu Captain Hugh Pea-rless will com- ; mand the ambulance corps. . y| CADET INSPECTION. \ G'oi,oral Sir Inn Hamilton will >'n ! spect the Cadets, Post and Telegrph \ Cr.rps. N.Z, Railway Corps-, and Rifle j Club members on 4th May. j