FIELD DAY

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XLVIII, Issue XLVIII, 9 April 1915, Page 4

FIELD DAY

GOOD WORK -AT TL&PAWERA' CAMP. ' (Per Pigeon Express.) The day broke beautifully at the Tern- ' torial camp »t> Tapawera this attorning. The men moved - about ; quickly, -' and - there was some excitement, for the-fishS tactics were shortly to begin. During the past week ■ or ten daysreally solid work has been don© in thecamp, and there has been decided am l provement in drill and general smartness. The men were eager learners, and made the most of the opportunity. - A ' considerable number of those who attended last year's Divisional Camp are now fighting, for King and country,, and fliafly of those "who took part in .the operations at Tapawera this morning will shortly be on active service. The New Zealanders -in Egypt have upheld the good name w<*n by Former troops ir» South Africa, and the men yet at home have been inspired by. the good example, and when their turn comes they will-not be found wanting. It s is lit«o wonder that the-men in camp have .been spurred to greater effort, and that >tney have more fully realised the' respo.nsunuUes that rest upon them. ... - J

STRENUOUS WORK. These field days reveal the stamina of the men. They are hated by the borntireds and the weary Willies. But. tho men to-day simply revelled m the work. A week or. two of the open air has had a good effect-physi- • cally upqn many of the \ men-mothers from the farms .were just as "fit"-. wh<J" they arrived—but these, with the, .town dwellers, have been/smartened .up in their movements,, and-the result,, apart altogether from the value of theimihta-Vy work, has been beneficial to all. '_• ' If there are still any objectors to our military training schemo w« .wish tthey . cduhi have stood on a prominence in. the vicinity of-the operations this;morning, or that they •- could have i.spent ,a few hours in camp when ordinary work wa»in progx-ess.

THE OPERATIONS. '(Colonel BryaiiKyas in charge of a, force marching up the Motupk#,Vauoy--On coming -round the Stanley Brtfpk ntil _ motor cyclist scout's reported ;that-,tno enemy was holding 'a position. \*H strength along the railway embankment, oil the east side of .the Tapawera Budge.* The officer in charge- of-the ijiaiii now decided to them'and driw . thorn back over "the -bridge. The force advanced along the road with the ad r vance guard in position. Shortly after they came under the .fire of the enemy's guns and immediately '.broke, up into irregular lines, of single columns in fours formation. When they v had - advanced about 400 yards 1 -past,'Macmahon's* farm, thev began to feeTihe .effect of long'dis-tance-Tine fire, and' opened 'out into « extended order. »Soou s #iter this the. enemy's advance scouts wew> mot aw* driven back towards 1 ;tho) bridges,. ,- • * The scrubby nature of the'- S ro ""9J '. formed very good cover from fire. . Tho • attack gradually developed, the firing , line 'being constantly "built up -by % supports. About mid-day the final fire posf-' ; tion was jeached. From this the a»- ( - saulting position was reached by means* , of small parties rushing .forward " short, distances covered by the, fire of the" at-, \ tackers. Soon, the troops were iu a '.. sition to deliver an,assault. The etitturjf**"' 1 had 'been-driven back- some time before this to a position " 'behind the railway . embankment/ From the assaulting pari- t - tiori the" attackers rushed forward to' th* " charge with 1 howls-and yells and cheery* and carrying, the position,- drove the enemy back in~ disorder, capturing'all'but,* few -seho managed so' i bridge.. .> _..''--•" I ,v l- .- ' VISITING OFFICERS. - 'Colonel Chaffey, Officer: Commanding, , • -Canterbury Military,District,-*arrived ,jtt, •• ,camp;yesterday*morning, and,.,ihspec.t£d«.,. the.troops. It" will be' remembered'., that": Colonel 'Chaffey'' was in charge ofrlsst . .• year's divisional camp ' consisting ■;.» v'pf. ■mounted infantry; artillery',., and (infant- • "ryi Speaking to a "Mail" ". 'repreßßiwa-' •7 tive this afternoon Colonel Chaffey *■ expressed himself as -pleased . with ( ' f vthe ■: drill and general bearing:' They had to that .many of the ire-' . sponsible-officers, non-coms., and .enced'men. who ,were the backbone ~of • fast year's' camp, had gone ,to. tha 'front, and ( new t men with 'jper •' cent of 'the force lecruits had, to, carry on "the .work". ' The seed ,aown. last year, ■ < said 'the. Colonel, .has > , beme, .good frpit; / which was evidenced by the fact that «of '-' one;, single ,case of insubordination ' *or misdemeanour had been' reported. 7' ?* - Colonel .. Chaffey was- particularly: V . pleased with -the-'keenness'. ..of * tnto <" ' men. All* were willing ;»the shirker wapconspicuous by his absence. . • "■»»•-...*> • ■ t' THE ARRANGEMENTS.' ' ' "; Another visitor of note is the Hon. ,- Col.*-Smith, Brigadier of .the Canterbury Infantry brigade, of .which the 12th. *Rxi-\ gimdnt (Nelson) forms a part."" VThp ' cooking'and arrangements'aro the- best I have ever seen," said Colonel.Smijth. A little incident . indicating that, l,tho'"' welfare of the men is the first consideration, when Colonel Chaffey was inspecting the cook-house. "What 1 do you do with the' 'oalaiice,"' said -the Colonel, pointing -to a row of 'meat' dishes. "Oh, the officers -have. ' ' sir." said the cook. .. , i The men speak /well of the food, &nd consider they could not he better looked after. ' ' . Special credit i 3 due to Lieut. .HarleyJ, Adjutant to, the 12th Regiment, Quartermaster-Sergt. Manning ,and tCJcrgeant Bond, master i cook, and' 1 all connected with the work. -

THE OFFICERS. '■' " Tho officers in camp are:—Liout.*Col.. Bryant, in command ,• Lieut." Bailey, Adjutant j Capt. Hammond, A •'Company' (Nelson); (Lieut. jE. J, Jamieeon; B ' Company (Motueka,' Takaka, Collingwood and surrounding . districts); Capt. Robinson (C Company)! (Pictonj ;'j Capt. T. Johnson, of' Nelson,. Company (Blenheim). Other officers are:- JLtejut. Lewis; 2nd Lieut. Rout; 2nd Liout. Johnston; 2nd Lieut. Suckling; 2nd Lieut. Fawcett; 2nd Lieut. Stubbs; 2nd Lieut. Rogers; . Lieut. Gray;; Mr Maceneld. acting .platoon" commander; ' 2nd Lieut. Leaper; and -Lieut.' S. G, Smith; Quarter-Master Capt. Irvine* Chaplainsißevs. J. B. Dart and'Rothwell' and Father Fonnerty.' ■.,> \., PARADE THROUGH TOWN. i The men leave camp at 5.30 to-morrow morning and w iU arrive in lowa about 8.15, and will march through town Via Hardy and/ Trafalgar-street* The iien nave been doing Tiard work in camp, and the public could well afford to «hbw its interest by observing the march. MOUNTED^AMP. The mounted, men will go into'camp to-morrow. > .- » r. ,: ~-yu t^ The H Battery, N.Z.W.A., will; proceeff to camp by train -morning; The horses and transport .will bo taken by road. . , !\