Whg. Hospitality Appreciated By Territorials

Northern Advocate, 3 April 1941, Page 8

Whg. Hospitality Appreciated By Territorials

Gratitude for the kindness and hospitality shown to officers and men of the 2nd Battalion, Auckland Regiment (C.R.0.), which has been in camp at Kensington Park since early in January, was expressed by the commanding officer (Lieutenant-Colonel L. M. Blyth) yesterday, before his unit left on its return to Auckland. “Hospitality has been simply overwhelming,’’ said Colonel Blyth. “Right from the beginning of the camp, the people of Whangarei have made the officers and men feel really at home. Besides the work of helping in the various canteens and sewing and mending guilds—a service which has been gladly provided by the ladies of Whangarei—and arranging entertainment in the way of concerts, dances, swimming and cricket matches, many people have readily welcomed the lads into their homes. This has been appreciated very much. Indeed, friendship has been the keynote of the attitude of Whangarei people toward our stay here.” Memorable and Enjoyable.

Aided by this unqualified kindness, said Colonel Blyth, the stay in Whangarei had been memorable and enjoyable. The racecourse at Kensington, well situated as it was, had many qualities as a training camp, and, except for one bad storm early in the training, the weather, which was not always perfect, had caused no inconvenience whatsoever. .

During the past three months the men had been given plenty of opportunity to spend leave on special excursions, and picnics had been arranged for them. In this way they had greatly enjoyed many of the scenic and historic attractions of picturesque Northland. The battalion was leaving Whangarei with happy memories of a sojourn made extremely pleasant by the people of Whangarei. The thanks of the battalion were especially due to the many organisations and individuals who, by their untiring and enthusiastic assistance, had made the stay of the unit in Whangarei a very pleasant one. Definite Benefit of Camp Life. Sun-bronzed and very fit, a direct contrast to the condition in which many of them entered camp early in January, the men reflect the benefits of their thorough training. Weighed upon their arrival, ai!d again before the conclusion of camp life, the men were found to show an average increase of half a stone in weight. On Tuesday the battalion returned north after the large-scale army manoeuvres in the Waipu-Wellsford area. These manoeuvres were the culmination of three months’ intensive training, and provided a real practical test for the men in much they have learned during their course, at the same time giving them a helpful insight of army life under service conditions. Brigadier’s Praise. The work of the battalion was specially commented upon by Brigadier P. H. Bell, D. 5.0., at a conference held in Kaiwaka after the manoeuvres. He said that the task given the 2nd Battalion had been a big one, demanding much from all ranks, but everyone had responded readily, and their work had shown initiative, dash and enterprise. An interesting sidelight on the fitness of the men was the fact that only four men reported sick during the period spent on the field. Confidence in Men. Colonel Blyth is extremely pleased with the exceptional progress that has been made by the battalion, and with the utmost confidence expects his men to prove themselves in the future, when many of them will see service overseas. On arrival in Auckland, the battalion will march through Queen Street headed by the Papakura Military Camp Band, and will complete its training on Saturday when demobilisation will take place at Eden Park.