PART OF E.P.S. WORKERS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 76, 14 October 1941, Page 2

PART OF E.P.S. WORKERS

TACTICAN SCHEME ON SATURDAY CAREFUL PREPARATION j A special feature of the tactical ! scheme carried out on Saturday last in the Nelson harbour and on Haulashore Island, when the E.P.S., Air Force and National Military Reserve Company cooperated, was the working of the E.P.S. under Capt. A. G. Christie. Capt. Christie has for some time past been keen to lest out the Waterfront E.P.S. in a practical way, and with j that end in view sought the co-opera—- ; tion of other units. Credit is due to i him upon the initiative he has shown j and the thoroughness of his arrangc- ; ments. On Saturday he was in control of a I section of the E.P.S. Under his direcj tion launches were manned a ! hitch and moved off at times to schei dole, and at others promptly on rei ceipt by him of signal calls from the j island. All detail was looked to and | carefully thought out. Handicapped as ; Capt. Christie was by the lack of flat—--1 bottomed boats to transport the attacking force and to enable it speedily to disembark <>n reaching the Island, he prepared in advance a number of stoutslatted landing boards. With the aid of these the troops were quickly moved ashore high and dry to assault the defences. The presence of the Red Cross boat j flying the appropriate flag to give im- 1 inunity lent an added touch ot realism < and gave further indication of the de- j tailed preparations Capt. Christie had ; made to ensure the success of the op- j oration. The presence of a Red Cross boat ; and a dressing station at the wharf, | adequately equipped and with a com- j plement of trained nurses under Mrs 1 Christie, with Dr. R. A. Lucas as : medical isTicer in charge, showed the j detailed consideration that had been given to the plans. Casualties, having received "active service” treatment on the Island,' were conveyed from the Red Cross boat by a stall of E.P.S. i stretcher-bearers to the dressing sta- J tion, where their wounds, of various j nature, contrived by Cpl. U. R. L. West, of the company’s medical unit, received skilled attention. Boy Scouts played their part in conveying messages from the Signal Station on the wharf to Capt. Christie’s headquarters.