WITH THE TERRITORIALS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 265, 7 October 1940, Page 8

WITH THE TERRITORIALS.

THE FOXTON CAMP. Rain greeted the 1000 Territorials who arrived at Foxton on Tuesday to spend six weeks’ training on the racecourse, but Wednesday broke beautifully fine after a frosty night and the camp soon dried out. Officers and men vote the location excellent for the purpose, the sandy soil ensuring a good dry camp, and there is plerity of shel ter. All the racing club buildings are utilised, but the men are all under canvas. General headquarters are established in the stewards’ stand. The camp commandant is Major Muscroft-Taylor and the camp adjutant is Lieutenant Petersen. The lieutenanfiquartermaster is Lieutenant Craighead 1 and the lI.S M. Sergeant-Major W. Dean. The medical officers are Lieutenant-Colonel G. Robertson, Captain Williams, and Lieutenant Gibbs, and the padre Rev. Mr Watkins, vicar of Wadestown, Wellington. The men are all accommodated on the southern side of the oval in tents with board floors.' The Third, Fourth, and Eighth Batteries and the Engineers are located here, the units being separated by streets. To the east arid west are showers and ablution conveniences, connected up with the town services. Behind the tents are the units’ separate mess tents and the cookhouse. This comprises four camp ranges, and to the west of it are the washing-up troughs. Everything is very compact and tidy The cookhouse, despite the fact that it has been in operation only a couple of days, is operating smoothly and efficiently. Its establishment must constitute something of a record. The cook arrived in Foxton on Monday night and brought with him two of the ranges He looked over the cookhouse building at 8 a.m. cn Tuesday, decided on the location for his ranges, by midday had them installed and by 5 p.m. had a hot meal ready for 1000 men.

The sergeants’ mess is in a large double marquee on the Target Reserve. The remainder of this area is taken up with transport lines and guns. An engineers’ shop has been set up in a marquee just off the lawn near the canteen. ’

On Thursday the Mayor (Mr M. E. Perroau) and Mr J. Macdonald, organiser lor the Patriotic Committee, visited the camp and conferred with the commandant and officers about .sportT As a result the camp is appointing representatives to meet representatives of the Patriotic Committee.