WEAPON TRAINING

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 7 August 1941, Page 6

WEAPON TRAINING

MARKSMANSHIP OF N.Z. FORCES MINISTER’S REPLY TO QUESTION INFORMATION SOUGHT BY MR DOIDGE j (From Our Parliamentary Reporter) Wellington, This Day. More about the standard of marksmanship of the New Zealand Forces was heard in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon, when the Minister of Defence (Mr Jones) replied to a question, notice of which had been given by Mr F. W. Doidge (National, Tauranga). Mr Doidge asked the Minister :‘li ! Whether lr? is aware that during the ! whole of their three months’ intensive I training at Waiouru, Territorials wore on the range twice only, and that their shooting was limited to a range of 25 yards? (2) Whether he is aware that during the whole of the training year ended May. 1941, the National Reserve in Auckland had rifle shooting practice once only'? (3) Whether he is aware that in one company of the Reserve nine men qualified as marksmen, forty-four qualified as secondclass, and the balance, representing 50 per cent, of the company, could not hit the target on the occasion of their one and only experience of range shooting in the year? (4) Whether he is aware that the syllabus for the ensuing year provides for only one range practice? (5) Whether he observed from the evidence given at an inquiry into the death of a soldier accidentally killed at Miramar that the deceased soldier, although engaged on vital points duty, had no knowledge whatever of how to use a rifle? (6) Whether he has noticed the report of an address to officers and n.c.o.’s by Colonel Row, D. 5.0., recently returned from the Greek campaign, in the course of which Colonel Row declared that while the standard of rifle shooting of our men overseas is now good, it was, when they arrived in Egypt, poor? (7) What is the Government’s intention, in view of the resolution passed by the Returned Soldiers’ Association urging that the National Reserve, Territorials, Home Guard, sfrid all other defence forces should be given adequate shooting practice until they become proficient marksmen? MINISTER’S REPLY Replying to the first part of the queifflon, the Minister said that weapon training was so arranged that range practices were not carried out until after the men had passed elementary training tests. If they did not achieve a definite standard, they were sent back for further instruction. As far as Waiouru was concerned, it was likely that some men, for the reasons stated, did in fact actually shoot only twice during their training at Waiouru. but there was ample opportunity during out-of-camp training for them to complete their practices when the state of training warranted the expenditure of ammunition. All firing at Waiouru was confined to the 30 yards range, as the full-size range had not yet been completed. It was possible to train men to the necessary standard on a 30-yard range and preliminary practices for recruits were normally carried out on such a range. Dealing with the second point in the question, Mr Jones said that although the National Reserve Battalion in Auckland had attended the range on only one occasion, it had fired the full course prescribed. All ; National Reservists had had a thorough j training at some previous stage. As to the third point raised, the j Minister said that weapon training ! results of the National Reserve unit : at Auckland showed an average score of 97 points out of 180. The lowest score recorded was 26. “The allegation that a large number of men could not hit the target is therefore contrary to fact.” he added. The Minister said that no programme lor range practices for the National Reserve in Auckland had yet been arranged for the coming year. Dealing with the question regarding I the soldier accidentally killed at ! Miramar, the Minister saicl he was not j a fully-trained soldier, but he was j sufficiently well trained for the task I he was carrying out and was under in- | struction daily. There was no evidence ; in the inquiry that the soldier con- ! cerned “had no knowledge whatever : of how to use a rifle.” nor was there the least suggestion t’iat the accident ! was in any measure due to his lack |c f training. COLONEL ROW’S VIEWS i Regarding the views expressed by I Colonel Row, the Minister said he | was fully aware of them and of his | statement that the standard of rifle ! shooting of New Zealanders arriving ! ir. Egypt was not up to that required ’for active service. The Minister said j this was realised and was one of the ! reasons why the Government insisted ! upon and received an assurance that j the New Zealand Division would not be- employed on active service until it was fully trained and equipped. ! Colonel Row had not stated that the j standard of shooting was poor, but that !it was not up to the standard required, and had reported that the ! standard x*eached in New Zealand was | not reproduced in Egypt for the foli lowing reasons:—(a) The different con- ! ditions of light on the desert which ‘ upset the troops at first, and (b) the i loose sand from which they had to , fire in Egypt made rifle shooting more ! difficult. Mr Jones emphasised that jno man would be sent into action ! until he had reached a high degree of ! proficiency in the use of the rifle. AMMUNITION SUPPLIES | Regarding the last clause of the quesj tion. the Minister said that the annual 1 1 rifle course laid down for the Terrij torial Force provided for an allotment of ammunition which was greater than that allowed in any part of the Empire, | with the possible exception of India, where it had apparently been found 1 | necessary to increase the allotment for the training of native troops. There was also a larger pool of ammunition , in New Zealand for extra practice for , backward shots. There was, moreover. a generous allotment of .22 ammunition for training Territorial recruits. There was adequate ammuni- ! tion for brushing up the previous training of National Reservists and ar- j rangements had been made for an ade- ; quate supply to the Home Guard during the next twelve months.