ARMY RESERVE

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23388, 3 July 1939, Page 7

ARMY RESERVE

EX-SOLDIER SECTION TRAINING SUGGESTIONS THE PRACTICAL ASPECT STANDING CANVAS CAMPS Seeing thnt the great majority the reasonably lit members of the National Military Peserve are exsoldiors who come into Class 2, ideas upon tlie manner in \\-Jiioli ihis. section (<iii ptofitablv I)«.• used are worth close attention, particularly those of men who have had military experience. Among those who have been di«ciissi"K the subject are a group of ex-soldi.-rs of the Xew Zealand Expeditionary 1' orce wliose collective service embraces the campaigns of Callipoli, 1 ranee, Palestine and a variety of special army schools. . Prior to the launching oi the scheme which has brought the reserve into being, this group advocated the formation, of a veteran force as a first line for an early emergency. Eager to Co-operate Inspired by a desire to co-operate with the military authorities in every practical way the.v "cease fire" as advocates of their own plan and. while preparing to muster under the official scheme, ofier some ideas upon its possibilities. Class 2 is to be formed into companies which, as a second line of defence, will, on mobilisation, be employed on protective duties it various important; points, particularly in the vicinity of the ports, where a portion will be trained for anti-aircraft defence against low-flying aircraft. It may be assumed, though this has not been mentioned officially, that another dutv of this body will be to protect places of military importance against sabotage and generally perform fortress inspection duty. More than Muster Parades The training of Class 2, according to the Government scheme, is to consist of four muster parades a year, aiul any number of additional parades at the discretion of the unit The group of ex-soldiers referred to are particu-

larly concerned about the supplementary training envisaged, knowing well that muster parades in themselves can have little value beyond demoiistrat-, ing the cohesion of the force. They realise that the general verdict of the military medical authorities on average physical capacity is sound. They know that the hardship and exposure of active service conditions, even those of beach-watching, would place a definite limitation upon the period of usefulness of the average Class 2 reservist. At the same time they assert with confidence based upon service knowledge that the ex-soldier of the 45-55 category is capable of a very stout effort for a limited time. A Doctor-Soldier's Opinion Said a medical man who in his youth served for a time with the bayonets: "Our generation is largely 'crocked' and could not stand up to severe conj ditions for long, but we would be better I 'stickers' than ever for the time we l lasted. Our battle discipline would be better than ever it was because of the old tradition, the sense we would have of giving a good example, and the genera] gain through mental maturity." This being so, it is the hope of the group of ex-soldiers who are trying to think constructively that Class 2 should be provided much wider opportunities for training than the military authorities appear to have in mind. One of them, who had a wide experience as a commissioned officer, makes the point-that ex-so!dier reservists reentering the service from a sense of personal responsibility would feel that they were being unnecessarily obstructed if they were not provided with means to "properly furbish up" as individuals and as units. A Scheme of Training Accepting this view, the group suggests that a definite scheme of training for Class 2 should be laid down. Some open-air drill should be followed by range musketry and machine-gun work"; then there should be some field exercises, training that would have a double value if done in co-operation with I territorial units, for the young, semitrained soldiers could learn much from J observing the manner in which men of the old brigades go into action. Already numbers of reservists have { expressed a wish that they could go , into camp for a week or- two. The ! group strongly supports these men. They Ido not propose that the reservists j should be put into the Narrow Neck or j other military schools for the regular | type of camp training, but suggest i that standing canvas camps should be ' established to which reservists could go i at their convenience, j The one for Auckland could be situ* I ated on the military training ground i abutting the Atiamuri Road, near Rotorua, or near some beach where | there is sufficient uninhabited land to i enable real training to be done, i Holidays in Camp ' With such a camp in being many | reservists would arrange to spend part of their holidays in it. It would not i require a large instruction staff to run ; continuous refresher courses, nor would j there be any drain upon equipment, seeing that each batch of men would use tho same rifles, the same machineguns and the same fie.d guns. Several camps of the kind scattered through the Dominion would provide most valuable training for reservists eager to fit themselves for possible emergencies and " not expecting pay beyond cooked rations. It probably would he found that with the establishment of these camp facilities groups of old comrades would arrange to go in together. "Staff officers who have got into tho straitjacket of army system may find all sorts of impossibilities in this reservist camp proposal," said one man, "but at this time of day we cannot afford to allow deep-rooted conservative military notions to frustrate practical military effort. The reservists' will to serve should be encouraged in every shape and form."