VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 13095, 7 February 1906, Page 1 (Supplement)

VOLUNTEER AND SERVICE JOTTINGS.

[BI SENTINEL.;

It is expected that the companies of the Infantry Battalion -will strike camp on Saturday morning next.

Colour-Sergeant Campbell, of the No. 1 Native Rifles, has been on the sick list during the last few days, and is unable to attend camp.

The following corporals of the No. 1 Native Rifles passed their sergeants' examination:—Corporal N. C. Busby ("152 marks), Corporal S. Kimber (138). and Corporal C. Smith (133).

Captain Kay, officer commanding the Gordon Rifles, returned fiom a holiday visit to Australia on Sunday last, and took over the command of the company at the Domain camp on Monday.

The Submarine Mining Volunteers (Devon ports) went into camp of instruction at Fort- Cautley on Friday evening last. Captain C. P. Murdoch is in command, and there have been good musters.

The Newton Rifles have had about the best musters so far, at the Infantry Battalion camp (Domain ground), and other companies well represented are the College and Nos. 1 and 3 Native Rifles.

Several of the volunteer companies have done little or no class firing so far, ami will have to push on with the firing if they are to complete by the end of the volunteer year (February 28). anid capitate.

The Easier encampment of the Auckland volunteers will be at Ho wick, and a large area of the surrounding country will be operated over dining the manoeuvres, which will, as usual, be on am extensive scale.

Lieutenant-Colonel W. 1). Holgate, officer commanding the First Regiment. A.M.R., inspected the " B" squadron of the regiment under his command at Pukekohe on Saturday last. The corps mustered 51 strong, under Captain Mat tin. and the men were put through some useful work.

The Eden Defence Cadets are in camp of instruction near the Infantry Battalion camp, at the Domain. Captain Shepherd is in command, and the musters are very good. Sergeant-Major Cheater is attached as instructor, and lias been putting the lads through some very useful work.

It comes rather as a surprise to find the old-established Victoria Riflle Company so poorly represented, in point of numbers, as has been the case during the infantry camp now being held in the Outer Domain. The company's musters have, on the whole, been about the smallest in camp.

Colonel Davits, 0.1?., officer commanding the Auckland Volunteer district, will inspect the companies of the Infantry Battalion at the Domain camp, on Friday evening next. No leave will be granted, and "absentees will be liable to a stiff tine. After the inspection the colonel will give his views on the manoeuvres of Saturday afternoon last.

The Battalion Brass Band is nuclei- canvas with the Infantry Battalion,' at the Domain, and the members have mustered in good numbers. The. musical programme provided by the band during the evening mess hour, has been much appreciated, and deservedly so, as there has been, a marked improvement in the quality of the music of late, the playing now being of a high standard of excellence.

The second annual prize-firing meeting promoted by the First Battalion Auckland .Mounted Rifles is to take place at the Penrose rifle range on February 23 and 24. Arrangements have already been practically completed, and, as was the case last year, the majority of the competitions will be under active service, conditions. The competition for the Kirker cup is to be fired on the second day (Februairy 24), and the corps of the Battalion are sure to be well represented in this event. Everything points to a successful meeting.

The First Battalion Auckland Infantry went into camp on the Outer Domain last Friday evening, and so far a very pleasant and profitable time has been spent. The attendance has, on the whole, been good, and the men have had but little room for complaint, as far as the general arrangements have been concerned. The food has been of good quality, and the only "growl" has been in connection with the late hour fixed for the evening meal—eight o'clock, p.m. —some of the men being averse to drilling on an empty stomach, after coming away from a day's work.

Evidently some of those concerned in arranging for the daily food supplies for the men in camp at the Domain, have not been previously connected with the commissariat department of a, military force. I am told that one responsible party actually issued an order for 801b of meat for the morning meal of a, force of about 30 men, and that but lor the watchful eye of the quartermaster, the order would have been handed along to the purveyor of meat. Those with such hazy ideas of the requirements of the inner man should consult the mobilisation orders, which contain details of rations.

The officers and companies in camp at the Domain are as follows:—-Major J. R. Reed, commanding the Battalion ; Victoria Rifles-. Captain Skinner. Lieutenants Cox and Derrom; College Rifles, Lieutenants Dawson (acting-adjutant), Shera, and Cook (in command of signalling section); No. 1 Native Rifles, Captain Coutts, Lieutenants Mcintosh and Atkinson ; No. 2 Native Rifles, Captain Bartlett, (junior major), Lieutenant Richardson; No. 3 Native Rifles, Captain Stevenson, Lieutenant Kretchmor; Gordon Rifles, Captain Kay, Lieutenants Pullan and Cummiugs; Newton Rifles, Captain Plugge, Lieutenants Shera and Hayson; Battalion Band-Band-master Mohr; staff officers : Quartermaster Dormer, Sergeant-Major Willoughby, Quartermaster-Sergeant Graham, and Ser-geant-Major Attwell.

A Tauranga correspondent writes: —On Monday, January 29, a rifle match, under the auspices of the Tauranga, Mounted Rifles Squadron, was held at Tauranga. The ranges were 300 yds, 500 yds, and 600 yds, and there were first and second prizes: for each range score, and a gold medal and cash prize for the best aggregate score. The medal was won by Bugler T. Douglas, of the Tauranga Mounted Rifles. Trooper J. Douglas, of the Te Puke Mounted Rifles, being second. The principal scores were as follows:—3ooyds: Trooper .J. Douglas (To Puke), 36, 1; Bugler T. Douglas (Tauranga), 34, 2.500 yds: Bugler T. Douglas (Tauranga), 36. 1 ; Trooper Ibbotson (Tauranga), 34. 2.600 yds: Captain Ward (Tauranga). 55. 1 : Corporal IT. .Moore (Tauranga). 31. 2. 'The visitors included Captain Fraser-Hurst, and three members of the Te Puke Mounted Rifles.

On Saturday last the companies of the infantry Battalion put in a,' ver. useful afternoon out, in the direction of One-tree Hill. The Victoria Kifles and cadets, representing a hostile invading force, took up a strong position, menacing the safety of the city of Auckland, and the balance of the volunteers were called upon to dislodge the enemy. The country operated over did not afford the attacking force much cover, consisting mainly of long, exposed paddocks, but, nevertheless, the manoeuvres proved instructive and valuable to all concerned. Captain Baitlett, acting-junior major, was in command of the attacking force. On Sunday morning the volunteers attended divine service at St. Mary's Cathedral, and Monday morning was spent in skirmishing drill. Monday evening and Tuesday morning .vere devoted to. battalion drill, and ait.hae.L- drill was the order last night

SCOUTING. Speaking of scouting in tho army, is there. I a.sk in all seriousness (writes "Lounger in tho Military Mail) any army that can do bettor work in tins direction than wo ran' In mv time 1 have sen the wmw of every groat Power in tin field, hut, it ha* always struck me the rank and rile did not. .-how" th<> same ability for stoiii.t»j- and reconnaissance that our own men do. Of r.uir-c the Boer wai taught us a lot in thi-i direction, and I believe that we, took the* lessons well to heart. But it seems to me that our men are letter fitted by nature for this work than either a Frenchman or a Herman. The latter is too stolid and phlegmatic to make » really good scout. l*os a German soldier in a position and tell him to warn yon the moment a horseman appear* in sight, and lie will carry out his order?, even if he has to wait there, a week, but he has no: sufficient intelligence to watch for himself and t > reason out the meaning of things he ice-. A Frenchman, oil the other hand, has too lively an imagination. lift sees an enemy behind every tree and conjures tin virion* tha*< make his reports most deceptive. It has always been a favourite doctrine of mine that without a dash of imagination about; him a man will never make a really coot! scout, but this, of cour.-e, can be overdone. From all accounts the Japanese are marvellous scout.*, thoueh T believe it is a fact that Sir lan Hamilton was not over-impres-sed with the scouting work he saw done. la the Russian army, of course, scouting is almost unknown among the rank and Sl«, THE SUBMARINE. Tracing the history of the submarine through its various stages, Sir William Henry White. lecturing at tho London Institution recently, pointed out 1 hat a submarine to-day costs about as much as a 74gun ship of Nelson's time. As to the future. some engineers declared that the chief enemy of the submarine would he the airship, which, high enough to lie out of danger, would mark when the submarine canto up to "breathe." and would then destroy her by dropping some sort of explosive upon her. Showing how. as far back as tinsixties, the submarine \va« Ivitig experimented with, the men wen- willing to risk their Jives when submarine navigation was in it- infancy. Sir William mentioned the case of (lie Confederate David, used in the United States war about. 1862. She was- first, sunk by the wash of a pushing steamer, and eight of her crew of nine were drowned. She was recovered, and in a second mishap three out of nine were sawd. Again there were volunteers ready to man her, and in a third accident all on board were drowned. Yet again, foi the fourth time, she found willing heroes, and in her fourth disaster nil hands -were lost. So in our own navy there was no dearth of men willing to take extreme risks when duty demanded it.