ROUTE MARCHES

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVI, Issue 23482, 20 October 1939, Page 6

ROUTE MARCHES

NEW ABUY tbaisikg;: RIFLE BATTALION. TESTED MANY MEN WITH SORE FEET While Napoleon hold that an arm marched on its stomach .the lid \ truth that an army marches on jf feet seems to be more acceptable t* the military authorities at Hopvih OD ° camp. This certainly applies to tl members of the ftifle Battalion w], * have been eloquently exhorted b" tbeir medical officer to take care V their feet. 01 Shortly after the main body 0 f th men arrived in camp the medical-offie^ to the Rifle Battalion assembled them' and stressed the importance-of care of the feet. The trend of his address !ef • no doubt in the mind of any soldier about the necessity for healthy f ee iAn early consequence of the address vrfls the appearance on thg. daily sick parade, of many soldiers "whoso only affliction was sore feet. Some wer seeking remedy for slight defects such as corns, others were real, casualty after their first encounter "with arm' boots. \ J Oare with Boots .While the boots issued by the arm? •would win no prizes for grace "and beauty they are indisputedly sound and, for the normal foot, comfortable when broken in. Those who experience difficulty in obtaining a good fit or Trho suffer from blistered fo<>t.in the earl stages receive every consideration" and genuine efforts are being made to.hare the soldiers well shod, even if thev a™ poorly tailored. Already the feet of the infantry have been well tested. Apart from the daily drill and exercises the Rifle Battalion has had two route marches in the past week. After the first march of five and a-half miles there was an abundance of sore feet in the camp aijd naturally the position -was the same after thV second route reacrch of. and a-half miles. A.t the sick parade the following morning there was one line for those with foot trouble and another for those •with other ailments. Spirit Developing The short training the men hare received is already showing results in their marching and, as they finished their second route march, their marching would , have done credit to units of longer training. Already there is developing a spirit which will distinguisli this first echelon. Oue thing that has impressed the men of the infantry most is that their com-, manding officer, Lieutenant-Colonel J. It. Gray, chooses example rather than precept and marches at the head of the battalion on the route marches.-Such a fine example has not escaped the appreciative notice of the men. The New Zealand Army is now in the making and like most things that have to be builtiup the start is being made from the ground up. The army is being built up from the feet first.