THE TERRITORIALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLVIII, Issue 14587, 25 January 1911, Page 9

THE TERRITORIALS.

BT SENTINEL.

Entries far the 1911 Troniham meeting are due at the district office by the 11th. prox., later applications being charged 10 per cent, extra..

Captain Robert Candlish Allen, active list, has been temporarily appointed a member of the district staff under the new reorganisation scheme.

The three companies of the Auckland Garrison Artillery division will bo put through their annual training at the forts, commencing as from tho 16th prox.

Captain Carpenter, assistant adjutant and quartermaster-general of the Auckland district, is at present on leave of absence. He will resume his duties on the 13th prox.

The Ist Infantry Battalion's camp in the Auckland Domain is being held under ideal weather conditions. The men are taking their duties seriously, and have settled down to hard work.

The general officer commanding, through the medium of a. district order, just issued, expresses his high appreciation of the way in which all ranks of the Auckland Garrison turned out for inspection by him during his recent visit here.

Except in the case of one or two corps there is not a great deal of recruiting going on at present. It is expected, however, that when the enrolment under the new scheme commences officers will be kept more than busy in dealing with enlisting applicants, and in the meantime the announcement of what the establishments are to be raised to is awaited with interest.

The secretary of the Penrose Rifle Range Committee (Captain G. Dormer) advises that tho ranges and officers for duty next month will be as follows : —February 4, ranges, 200 yds, 500 yds, and 600 yds, officer in charge, Captain Melville; February 11, 600 yds and 700 yds, also 900 yds and 1000 yds. Lieutenant Cook ; February IS, 600 yds and 700 yds, also 900 yds and 1000 yds,' Lieutenant Cooper; February 25, 200 yds and 300 yds, Lieutenant Finlayson.

According to the district order issued on the 19th inst., officers of the militia, who are transferred to the territorial force, active list, or reserve of officers are not required to undergo examination fox the rank they held in the militia, unless transferred to a different branch of the service, when they will be required to pass the prescribed examination in the extra necessary subjects for the rank and branch of the service into which they are promoted or transferred.

The College Rifles, under Captain Dawson, will go into camp on the slopes of Mount Wellington, Tamaki East, for seven days' continuous training, as from the 3rd prox. The corps will probably muster 100 strong, and will devote itself assiduously to field work, exercising continuously in signalling, attack, and defence, and day and night outposts. The camp will be placed under as near service conditions as possible, the men-doing their own cooking and there being no officers' mess. It was originalry proposedi to devote the last few days of the camp to a trek, but this was knocked on the head owing to the Department declining to sanction the expense.

A handy little publication entitled "Service Notes," has been issued for the use of young officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the territorial forces. Tho book is written and compiled by Captain H. F. Skey, of the sth Battalion, Wellington Rifles, and, should prove a valuable help in fostering knowledge under the new defence scheme. Chapters are devoted to the following subjets ":—Discipline, dress, correspondence, health of troops, arrival on, camping ground, the battalion in camp, ' guards, skirmishing, protection on the march, protection when at rest, musketry and the rifle, entrenchments, semaphore signalling, and " don't's."

On Monday evening No. 1 Natives,"' No. 3 Natives, and. the.Newton Rifles paraded and practiced outpost work. The ' companies deployed in extended formation along the crest of the hill, and resisted ant imaginary attack on the camp. Last night the Victoria Rifles and the Highland Rifles were exercised in competition work, and this evening the Gordon Rifles will be similarly employed. The .ambulance detachmentwhich as yet has had no casualties to deal with going through a regular course of drill. The commissariat department is giving every satisfaction. Lieu-tenant-Colonel Reed is in commandj assisted by Majors Bartlett and Plugge.

The 4th of next month will see the "A" Battery, under Major Sherson, commencing their annual training in the Outer Domain. Instruction, which will be continuous, will last until the 15th, when the Battery will proceed to Helensville, and will trek back to the city, the trek occupying four days. On the first day the Battery wfll have a practice shoot between Helensville and Rawhiti, on the second day competitive shooting between Rawhiti and Kumeu, and this will be completed on the third day between Kumeu and Henderson. The Batiery will bivouac at. Henderson on the Saturday night, returning to Auckland on the Sunday. Major Sherson and Lieutenant McGflp journeyed to Helensville on Saturday last and made the necessary arrangements for the trek.

An announcement that has been received with general satisfaction throughout the district is that books of railway passes, duly signed by the assistant-adjutant and quartermaster-general, are now to be issued to all officers commanding corps, for use when required, thus saving officers commanding companies applying to the district office whenever passes are wanted. The officers commanding corps are to issue the passes only as follows : —(a) to officers, firstclass ; other ranks, second-class passes; (b) to all ranks for the purpose, of attending drill, passes up to 10 miles to be issued; (c) up to 100 miles to those desiring to attend rifle matches. The names of those who are to travel must be endorsed on the back of all railway passes by the officer commanding corps, before he allows such passes to leave his hands.

The Akarana Rifle Club's programme for the forthcoming season, which has just been issued, is a highly attractive one, and should afford.much satisfaction to members. On February 4 "A" section will fire for the championship, at -ranges of 200 yds, 500 yds, and 600 yds, and "B" and "C" sections will shoot for aggregates at corresponding distances. On the following Saturday the respective sections will shoot for the Hazard .club, and Anderson trophies, the ranges being 600 yds and 700vds, and on the 18th of the same month for* the Rainger, Ferguson, and Simpson trophies, at the same distances. On February 25 matches for the Kohn, Moore, and "club trophies, will be fired by the "A," " B," and " C " sections, respectively, at ranges of 200 yds and 300 yds. Further matches are arranged for each succeeding Saturday (March 4 excepted), until April 29. when the season will be closed by the tiring of the finals in the championships, and aggregate competitions at ranges of 200 yds and 500 yds.