N.Z. TROOPS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume 77, 23 October 1942, Page 2

N.Z. TROOPS

PRACTICAL TRAINING BUSH AND MOUNTAIN WARFARE DEER AS TARGETS Wellington, This Day. Practical training in bush and mountain warfare for grade one personnel of the New Zealand territorial forces has now begun, said the Minister of Defence, Mr Jones, to-day. Composite companies from certain brigade groups have set out during the last few days into nearby back country where they are combining tactical exercises with deer extermination. ‘Armed with rifles and light machineguns the men will treat deer in every respect as if they were enemy troops. Mr Jones said although the troops assisting in the deer destruction branch of the Internal Affairs Department operations were in no sense an uncontrolled sporting venture and companies were operating strictly as military units. The type of fighting developed by the Japanese clearly indicated the need for still greater insistence on this phase of training by our forces, said the Minisler. and New Zealand troops must be taught to live, travel and fight in the bush and amongst mountains and hills. This was the main object of the new training. Preliminary reports, he said, indicated satisfactory progress and that the troops were thoroughly enjoying their spartan life in the high country. A number of former Internal Affairs Department officers now in the Army had been selected for duty with composite companies as advisers, instructors and organisers. One was with each company and held the appointment of com-

Onlv physically fit men had been selected for this strenuous training and all units were put through a special hardening course before being sent out. The new scheme aimed at introducing as man}’ troops as possible to this form of training. Mr Jones denied suggestions that Army training had hitherto failed to provide instruction in so-called jungle warfare, adding that the companies now out in the back country were really putting into practice field craft training they had already been taught in training camps.— P.A.