OUR TRAINING SYSTEM.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLII, Issue 10118, 27 October 1917, Page 6

OUR TRAINING SYSTEM.

LITTLE ROOM FOR IMPROVE* MENT, PALMEUSTON OFFICER'S OI'LNIOX. 1 •l'i„- lollowing ifi an extract from n letter received bv Colonel Gibbon, C.G.S.. from Second-Lieut. 11. T. B. Drew (lata ol Paltnerdon):—"l uvin quite satisfied personally, now, after what I have seen, that there are vuvv few details in which the training nt hoiu" (New Zealand) could bo improved At S!iii; ; - one heard ii good deal of coinnieiil on the Now Zealand training, and at ' Staples, one heard llie Hime about Sling'! and then again, on coining up to the hue one onct more heard the same t-hing" said about both Sling and Maples, and so it goes on, littt ii i - rather remarkable thai the ticinii'g wo and the men get behind the | lines now,- i> all in llic direction ol Hurt, inioarted by ( »!. I Macdonald— wmii-opeii warfare, attack and defence, covering lire for mevemcui, with some additions in accordance with the new hooks on _ platoon li-ainiiisr thrown in. I really don t see in what particular, rou could alter the New Zealand coirrse. , "Ai the schoel. for instaiice, all he riiiipns and fa.nej slunis learned nl ottiei iil&coi* are cul out, and we get down mice fnoiv lo th.- drill hook and conform strictly thereto as we did in New Zealand— taking of stvjiij; [joints, "moppiyiK >U> ' establishments and consolidation of strong point*, tactical .viring, utilisation of shell holes, ott. \\v vou teaching that now in New Zealand? I fiippo.w you have the latest p'.impl) lets out; thev deal with it, of course "The discipline of the men is really '■•'>'> fine. Winn our fellows came out ol I he !,,„, ~,,. had them for a few day« m billets, and it was splendid the ua v they soon re- • oo'uiod r'o refresher drill. They could dr. ,'Vromoiiinl work with the best after :i run through the drill. Thf i- rather a gooc M --r because, after all. ll \-pcrienoo> o ihoTrunl lino fellows are natorally u.e uiod io scorn the rudimentary drill and thoo > work. Vou fee! thai way yourself, too, In P „luiiii» { 1 Unci our hoy> are as good as any. thine,- troing, . . , . . .. "llereabouts. n little distance behind 11• lines-, the country is bcaulilul. Kvnryueie corn and iroi« niv ripening, and Nie pe ; - santrv are gathering day and n.jflil. No -hells' litu-e fallen about here, and no tr.if s of war are to be seen. 1 went lor a cycle ,-icle las! evening along the low putn ol n bountiful t-aiml. and mnidsi all me oeauo it wa> hard Io reah»3 that war was ;••> elOsi. U lUt only a f.'« da,« buck . thoyniJ ,1,,,,!,- had been wljistUnst over my l.u ■ Wo are all very hja Pl n and well looked aftei. l!,e food is plentiful and the quality A l. All are-in Rood spirit:-but want the war to end. ! don't think any unit is bct.ei caiui for than our'." _____