"CORPS OF MANY TALENTS."

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 16098, 11 December 1915, Page 9

"CORPS OF MANY TALENTS."

THE ARTISTS RIFLES. NEW ZEALANDERS SERVING. [from orR &ws corresponokxt.] Londox, October 29. "The Corps of Many Talents'" describes the Officers" Training Corps of the Artist* Rifles (28th Battalion, City of London, Regiment), through whii a group of New Zealanders and Australians are now obtaining commissions, -; id others have already obtained them. The corps is encamped at a picturesque place within easy reach of its headquarters—Dukes Road, off Euston Road. In it digging trenches are men from Oxford and Cambridge, as well as prospectors and gold-diggers from Australia; architects, prospectors and station men from New Zealand, while actors and musicians who have toured through Australasia are studying musketry in the same squad under specialists. There is scarcely a profession which has not its representative in the corps, as well as men of education, who have roughed it in one corner of the world or another. They have all heard the call of the Motherland, and are making ready for action. The Australians and New Zealanders have thrown themselves whole-heartedly into their work, and are gaining excellent opinions. Every Regular Infantry Regiment in the British Army has officers who have been trained in the Artists. Its school of military instruction in France is referred to as The Sandhurst of the Battlefield," and General French has expressed his satisfaction with the results.

New Zealanders now training with the Artists Rifles include:—C. L'eoffrey H»rri son, of Canterbury, who left his" station to offer his services; Private K. D. Houghton, Private A. F. H. Peel, who was in Auckland for 12 years, and was lately engaged as mining engineer on the Waiti Victoria Barrier W. E. Mouldev. son of Mr. E. C. Mouldev. of Canter bury; M. S. Caro, of Auckland : Albert Holden, of Clyde, who left the Philip pines, where "he had been engaged 1:1 dredging. It will be remembered that Lieutenant J. Wilfred Findlay. Kind's Royal Ritle>. got his commission from the Artist*, and Mr. X. Pownal!. cl Wellington, joined i about the same time.

A member r.i the corps well known in New Zealand is O. P Treloar. the actor He was with Julius Knight on a reper t.irr tour thrOP,<*h Australia and New Zealand, and acted as his understudy: he later joined the Oscar Asche Company and under-studied Mr. Asche. TreK-r formerly held a commission in the 7ih. Australian. Infantry Regiment. Two Sydney —George Best and Charles Crann— engineers, have already secured their commissions and are On their wav to the front. The number of ccmnissions already obtained bv Australasians in the Regular British Armv and territorial forces teeth fies sufficiently to their grit and ability* of the 2000 commissions secured by the corpsj about 500 arc in the iiegrJars.