MILITARY CAMP

Manawatu Times, Volume 63, Issue 41, 18 February 1938, Page 2

MILITARY CAMP

Large-scale Manoeuvres Planned at Tomoana SITE BEING PREPARED From Our Own Correspondent. HASTINGS, Feb. 16. Infantry manoeuvres on a large scale will be carried out by the 2nd Composite Infantry Battalion in its camp at the Tcmoana Showgrounds, which commences on Saturday week. The main tactical operation will be the repulsing of an imaginary landing on the beach south of Napier, in which the whole battalion will take part, with the aid of observing aeroplanes and mechanical transport. It is anticipated that there will b i about 250 men in the camp from Hawke’s Bay, the East Coast and Taranaki. Yesterday an advance party was at work at the site erecting the camp, and despite interrupt ions by rain, the cookhouse was completed by yesterday afternoon. The remainder of the work, including the erection of tents, will be completed by Saturday, when eight officers and about 35 other ranks will assemble at the c amp for a course in infantry traning. Major L. Potter, N.Z.S.C., from the Central Military School, will also conduct a course in tactics for the officers. Troops are to assemble at the camp on Saturday week, and the camp will last from the following day until March 4, and the men will disperse on the following day. The camp is the first to have been he! id in Hastings, and is also the first to be held since the Taranaki, Wellington West Coast and Hawke’s Bay regiments were combined under the new defence scheme announced some months ago, to form the Second Composite Infantry Battalion. The camp will be completely motorised, to allow speed and efficiency in moving about the country for manoeuvres far afield. The main operation is to be the defence: of Napier against an imaginary force anding from the bay. It is expected nhat aeroplanes of the Royal New Zealand Air Force will cooperate with the troops in the manoeuvres, while a radio telegraph service will be in use for communication purposes. Conditions will be made as nearly approximating service conditions as possible, to give the newly-formed battalion a thorough testing and training in their work. The troops wil l receive pay of rank for the camp, and those who attend the preliminary course will also be paid. All ranks are to be completely armed, equipped and uniformed bef.ro arrival in the cavnn. The officer commanding will be Lieu-tenant-Colonel F. S. Varnham, M.C., E.D., of New Plymouth, formerly officer commanding the Taranaki Regiment, and the adjutant Captain G. M. McCaskill, N.Z.S.C., of Napier.