E.P.S. Training

Manawatu Times, Volume 66, Issue 103, 2 May 1941, Page 2

E.P.S. Training

A meeting of tlio officers and noncommissioned officers of the E.P.S. Com- , pany was held in the Commander’s office on Wednesday evening, when a full muster was present. The Commander, Mr. S. K. Siddells, gave his personal opinion concerning the training of the company, and the effect of it was that not only should the Pahiatua E.P.S. organisation specialise in its work for any of the given states of emergency, but it should also visualise circumstances where it might have to fight as a guerilla company, and act at times in co-operation with the Home Guard. Such being the case, a semimilitary organisation should be trained and fitted for any event that might turn up. The meeting agreed with such a view and it was resolved to draw up a syllabus of training with such an object in view. The E.P.S. Company will parade at 7 p.m. every Monday evening at the Foresters’ Hall, and the parade w r ill be divided into three periods. Lectures for half an hour will be delivered to half the company each night while the other half is trained in squad drill. The half companies then reverse the procedure for the next half-hour. The final half-hour will be taken up with physical recreation. Several of the officers and section leaders have been attending instructional classes held each Thursday evening, and the training of the whole company will now be undertaken with gradual intensity, and with due care of those older men who perhaps are not as active as' they would like to be. Moetiugs of the officers and non-commissioned officers will be held every six weeks, to discuss future training and make suggestions and offer criticism. The diversity of subjects available to the E.P.S. Company may be judged from a perusal of the following lectures fixed until the end of June: — May 5: R. Kemp, ‘ ‘ Haemorrhage. ’ ’ May 12: A. Ford, * ‘How to deal with live wires.” May 10: W. Lawry, “Incipient Fires and extinction. ’ * May 26: W. H. Watson, “Accommodation and evacuation.’’ June 2: N. A. Giddinge, “Resuscitation.” June 9: IC. Montgomery, “Field Signals.” June 16: L. D. Lovelock, “Map. reading.” June 23: R. Kemp, “Stretcher drill and improvising.” June 30: G. Ancell, “Public Works.” The endeavour is being made to give every member of the organisation a general knowledge of what duties devolve upon specialists, and in what manner these specialists can best be assisted. Interest should be successfully maintained by the men. Actual demonstrations and try-outs will be organised and carried out from time to time on Saturday afternoons. These will educate the men as to their duty stations in times of emergency and will train them in their actual duties. There is room for more recruits. Everyone has a job to do in this war, and yet there are still many men, active enough for Home Guard or E.P.S. work, who have as yet done nothing. A definite call is made to these men to join either organisation, and it is hoped it will not, fall on deaf ears. The training is excellent, the men will find a new interest in life itself, and many new and unexpected friendships are made.