VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13048, 13 December 1905, Page 1 (Supplement)

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

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The last Gazette to hand contains notice of the disbandment of the Kaihu Defence Rifle Club.

The members of the Akarana Rifle Club tire for two trophies on Saturday afternoon, both of which are to be won outright.

Only 4 per cent., of the men serving in the British army have a chest measurement of over 40in. and 20 per cent, between 38in and 40in. - ■-.-'■

The Standard '. states that the immense new underground naval magazines at Gibraltar are so damp as to be useless for the purpose intended.

The promotion of Lieutenant (Adjutant) Frank Chapman, of the No. 4 Battalion Auckland Mounted Rifles, to be captain has been gazetted.

It was only in the reign of Henry VIII., who was a. great lover of all martial exercises, that the institution of fencing schools became encouraged in England.

The Gordon Rifles fire for LieutenantColonel Abbott's shield, and the No. 9 Garrison Artillery Volunteers for the company's cup, next Saturday afternoon, at Penrose.

The bayonet became a British weapon during the reign of Charles 11. It then resembled a lance, or pike-head, and was screwed in the barrel of the musket, when the latter had been discharged.

The three greatest surrenders recorded in history were : Met/., 150,000 French troops; Sedan, 8,5,000 French troops ; "and Plevna, 43,3-10 Turkish troops. hi each case there were many thousands of officers in addition.

Orders have been issued in connection with the Infantry Battalion camp of instruction, which is to be held on the Outer Domain early in February. The corps will this time go into camp as a properly organised battalion.

An inspection parade of the A Squadron Auckland Mounted Rifles (dismounted) will be held by Lieutenant-Colonel Holgate at Mr. Gorrie's paddock, Epsom, next Saturday. A-good muster is expected. After the parade sports, etc., will be practiced.

A rifle match between teams representing the No. 1 Native Rifles and the No. 8 Company Garrison Artillery Volunteers will lie fired at the Penrose range on Saturday afternoon next. The ranges will be 300 yds and 500 yds, and the teams will be of 10 men a-side.

On Friday evening next His Excellency the Governor (Lord Plunket), who, by virtue of bis office is Commander-in-Chief of the New Zealand Forces, will be the guest of the, members of the Auckland Garrison Officers' Club at a social evening in the club's rooms, Drill Hall.

It is now practically certain thai the No. 1 Garrison Artillery Volunteer Corps will be re-formed at an early date. The majority of the old members are particularly anxious to bring the old company info existence again, and the matter of arranging for suitable officers in in the hands of Colonel Davies.

Major J. R. Recti, officer commanding the First Battalion Auckland Infantry, is evidently determined to bring about a high state of proficiency among the corps under his command. The major is to be seen at the Drill Hall regularly on Wednesday and Friday evenings, and frequently attends on Monday nights.

The A Squadron Auckland Mounted Rifles paraded last Saturday at Mr. Gome's paddock, at Epsom. Alter parade relay races, leading races, and other events were practiced, in view of the forthcoming military tournaments. .Several lady friends of "the squadron were present, and provided afternoon tea.

The following will represent the No. 8 Company Garrison Artillery Volunteers in the shooting match against the No. 1 Native Rifles on Saturday next.:—Lieutenants Ewan and Forbes, Sergeants Hill and Morgan, Bombardiers Watson and Maxwell, Gunners Dillon, Sheppard, Ferguson, and 1 .Joynt; "emergency, Gunner Bell.

The "A" Battery Artillery and No. 8 Garrison Artillery corps were warmly welcomed and most hospitably treated by the Thames volunteers on the occasion of their visit to the goldlields township last Sunday, for the purpose of taking part in a church parade. It is the intention, 1 understand, of the Thames corps to return the visit some time in February next. The shooting team to represent the No. 1 Native Rifles in , the mutch against the No. 8 Company Garrison Artillery on Saturday next will be picked from the following:—Captain Courts, Lieutenants Mcintosh and i\l. Atkinson, Serjeants E. Smith, S. Gamble, and A. Campbell, Corporal Kimber, Lance-Corporal Stephens, Privates Lucas, A. Smith, Eyes, Rankin, and F Smith.

The alteration of the railway time-table on Saturday afternoons- has caused great"inconvenience to riflemen. The officials arc kept going the whole afternoon seeing that no unnecessary delay takes place on the mounds. , This does not have the effect of steadying the nerves of the shootists, but an hour's wail at Penrose station is a thing to ha remembered, and therefore to be avoided.

As an instance of the readiness with which recruits are coming forward now, it may be mentioned that since October 30 the No. 1 Native Rifles have placed no less than 27 new men on the company's roll. thus raising the strength of the corps from 29 to 56. The. men enrolled are till of a good stamp. Some of the,other corps have not, perhaps, recruited so freely as tho No. 1 Natives, but none of them are .find-, ing difficulty in obtaining suitable recruits.

The corps of the First Battalion Auckland Infantry paraded at ' ■ the. Domain last evening for inspection by Colonel *Davies, officer commanding the district. A useful course of outpost work was gone through, the "G" Company (Gordon Rifles) being told off to endeavour to force their way through the outpost lines, with the object of ascertaining the disposition of the main body, composed of the several other corps. The movements were well conceived and carried out by all concerned, showing marked improvement on previous work r of a similar nature. ,

There appears to be a good deal of uncertainty ' concerning the design of the new French battleships. The Yacht has stated that they arc to be of 18,000 tons, while M. Lockroy deplores that they are only to be of 16,000 tons. A writer in the Echo de Paris suggests the larger type, with an armament of 16 10.8 in guns in pairs in eight turrets, and 24 .3.lain guns on the broadside, the speed being 20 knots, with engines oi 25,000 horse-power. The writer is believed to be Admiral Founder, but there are critics in other papers who declare that there should be no guns of less than 32m calibre.

The rifle match between teams of 23 men aside from the corps of the Auckland Infantry Battalion and the Mounted Regiment was fired at. the Penrose range last Saturday, and resulted in a win tor the infantry representatives by 38 points on the aggregates, the whinners scoring 1884 points against 1846. The mounted representatives, though defeated, were by no means disgraced, as they were meeting a very strong team, and though quite an array of town cracks represented the infantry battalion, the highest individual scorer was a. member of the mounted team. The competitor to claim this distinction was Sergeant White, of the "D" Squadron, who put on the .splendid (score of 94 out of a. possible 100 points.

On Saturday next an interesting rifle match will be fired between teams selected from the "blue" division (including the Garrison Artillery Corps, the Engineers, anil "A" Battery), and the Victoria Rifles, It is expected that the " blues" will put up a better fight than the Infantry Battalion did against, our crack shooting company's team. The teams will be of 17 men a-side, the scores of the top 15 to count. The following will represent the Victoria Rifles:-— Captain Skinner, Lieutenant Cox, Lieutenant Derroin, Sergeant Spry, Sergeant Jackson, Private Cox, Private Carlson, Private McCarthy, Private Yeo, Private Preston, Private Rowe, Private Tobtn, Private Lee, Private Nicholson. Private Kerr, Private Anderson, and Private Goldstone.

Engineering remarks that one of the most important of the results of the war between Japan and Russia will be its influence on China. in naval matters the Chinese have never had a fair chance, but under Admiral Lang they certainly made remarkable advances, and with proper conditions the Chinese sailors would have been able to give a. very good account, of themselves. According to the Japan Daily Mail, the Chinese Government has determined to reestablish a naval school, and it: is said that Japanese teachers will be employed at the school. In addition, a number of students are to be sent to Japan for instruction from experienced Japanese naval officers, and also see a naval force which in many respects has given lessons to the navies of the world. In the days of Li Hung Chang a large and prosperous naval college existed at Tientsin, mainly under German professors, and it undoubtedly turned out many competent men, who were drafted for service in the. ships of the Peiyaug squadron. But after the death of the gallant Admiral Ting, and the surrender of the remnants of his fleet at Wei-hai-Wei, China ceased to have anything that could be justly called a navy. It must be a question of years, but if China can only supply the funds, the Japanese will soon be able to train an efficient personnel, and British shipbuilding yards will be able to supply the ships at a. smallei cost , and in a shorter time than those of any other ; country. ;