MILITARY MATTERS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 6494, 14 April 1908, Page 6

MILITARY MATTERS.

A VETERINARY CORPS.

In future all field batteries of artillery, mounted corpe, and other corps using riding, pack, or draught horsaq mules, or oxen, will be under proper veterinary supervision. _ , , , , A vott;"inary corps has been established not only to get greater horse efficiency but for the protection of volunteers who own their own horses. The .advantage ol such a corps is very apparent when it is seen that most of the men belonging to mounted corps arc farmers, and that the veterinary officers appointed to form the corps arc mostly Government veterinary surgeons with undeniable credentials. Many ot the officers have been veterinary officers in the field, and are Uiercforo of special value. Wliore a Goyernment voterinury officer in his military capacity is able to get a large number of horsemen together it is obvious that ho do much better work than he could if the men wore scattered. Colonel J. A. Gilruth is to bo director general of the Veterinary Corps, and tac following ofliceift will bo principal vc-te-jinary oflicers in the chief Lieutenant-Colonel C. J. iDcakF-s, P.V.0.. Wellington district (and assistant direc-tor-general); Major J. Lyoius, PA.O., Auckland district; Major J. G. Clayton, P.V.0., Canterbury district; Major D Snowball, P.V.0., Otago <listrict; Major C. It. Nealo (late Virst Contingent) is appointed to Tirnaru; Major O. .1. Sanderson (late chief veterinary efticer South African Constabulary), not vet detailed; Major A. I\. Young (late Fourth Contingent), Taranaki; Captain P. M. Edgar (Fourth Contingent), Wanganui ; Captain H. S. Kyle, not yet detailed.

Besides these appointments there are to ho twenty others, many of them having been already made. Major Young and Captain Edgar will bo tho veterinary officers attached to the Blue force for tho Easter manoeuvres. A conference of tho P.V.OAs is te bo hold at Easter, and the director-general will preside. Lioutenant-Colonel Peakes, who is in London, is supervising tho collection and despatch of equipment for the new coqis, and it wi]ft probably be in New Zealand shortly, when the branch of the service will get to work. One point of importance in connection with tho work of the veterinary corps is that it will lessen tho responsibility of volunteer officers not on the veterinary staff. Horses will bo passed for parado by the veterinary officer. It is difficult for any officer not a veterinary surgeon to say whether a horso is fit for strenuous work, and it is also difficult for tho owner of such a horse to say whether the animal is qualified for the duties it has to undertake.

MEDICAL AND NURSING CORPS.

NEW DIVISIONS.

The necessity of organisation in regard to medical matters connected with the Defence Force of New Zealand has induced the Council of Defence to draw up regulations for the formation and conduct of a medical and also a nursing corps. MEDICAL SECTION.

The ranks in the medical corps will be the same as in the combatant branches,the commanding officer to be known as the Director-General of Medical Service. Ho is empowered to recommend for commissions, nominate for district appointments and promotions, inspect all units of the corps and their equipment, and to control all medical equipment in the Dominion.

Medical officers will be appointed to corps in tho following proportions Field batteries, 1; divisions of garrison artillery. 2; engineer corps, X; regiments, 2: battalions, 2. If found guilty of neglect of duty or inefficiency for tivo successive years they will he liable to have their commissions cancelled. Except in special cases, they will be retired at the age of sixty, while no medical officer may remain on the active list after tho ago of sixty-five. . A medical officer will be appointed from the corps to the post of chief sanitary officer, his duties to include advising the Director-General on all matters relating to the sanitation, of barracks, forts, camps, etc., and of all influences likely to affect the health of the troops. Existing field hospitals and bearer corps are in future to be called field ambulances, with a maximum establishment of fifty-one and a minimum one of twonty-eeven. A NURSING RESERVE.

In conjunction with tho Medical Corps a Nursing Reserve is formed to carry out the nursing of all sick and wounded among tho Dominion's forces during hostilities. It will consist of qualified nurses, who after enrolment will be treated as part of the military force. At the head will be a matron-dn-chief, who will be responsible for the efficiency of tho nursing service. She will also recommend matrons for appointment to hospitals under the control of the Medical Corps. Candidates for admission must be registered nurses of good character and experience, and between twenty-one and forty years of age. They will retire at the ago of fifty. Pay will only be allowed when the Nursing Reserve ie called out.

r INSTRUCTIONAL STAFF. The following will bo the distribution of officers. General instructional StafL for instructional purposes for current Volunteer year, 1908-Oa: — (a) Major E. fr. W. Lascelles as Chief Instructor for General Courses and Classes of Instruction (except tecimicul classes, artillery subject?) throughout tub Dominion, with headquarters at Wellington. (VO All Garrison and Field Artillery Captain G. S. Richardson, with head quarters at Wellington. (c.) Field Engineers: (Officer to be named later), with headquarters at Wellington. . XT „ (dd Mounted Rifles: Captain Nelson for ‘Hie South Island, with headquarters at Christchurch. Captain Browne for the North Island, with headquarters at Auckland. . „ (e.) Infantry: Captain Rogers, with headquarters at WeliTfigLOn, THE WAR GAME.

Garrison officers last night indulged in a "war game,” busing their ations apparently on the “ideas set down for the Easter manoeuvres. The two forces, Blue v. Red. work in separate rooms. Each side in the play has a large topographical map, and each, acting on information, full or otherwise, which is the basis of operations, moves various coloured pieces, representing artillery, cavalry, infantry, etc. The umpire (in this case Captain Richardson) at various stages announces the time of ni"ht or early morning, and the movements of troops are consequently faster during assumed daylight. To succeed in the war game it is necessary to carefully plan and work out each movement, allow for the supposed position of ths enemy, his ability to cut lines of communication, and otherwise hamper operations. The officers engaged took a keen interest in the game, which is highly scientific. THE EASTER MANOEUVRES. SOME OF THE ARRANGEMENTS. Twenty officers, moot of whom are on the active unattached list, will be attached to the umpire stall for the Easter manoeuvres, and will be quartered at Pcrlrua Hotel, taking up their station on Thursday. These umpires have fie-

quently met, and have covered most of the "round likely to be used in the comin." campaign. It is noteworthy that at a recent meeting of the umpire staff there were sis Fourth Contingent officers present —Liout.-Colonel Bauchop, C.M.G., Captains Ross, Gardiner, and Seddon, Lieutenants Powles and Grant. There lias been trouble in the past about passes on the railway, and to obviate any dispute as to the number or men aboard a train, during the Easter manoeuvres the senior officer on -a troop train and the guard of the train wul ascertain the number of troops on board, and a pass will then be given for the whole number. There will under this system be no preliminary bother before .hoarding the train, or disputes as to numbers, as in former yearsla order to facilitate the payment of troops after the manoeuvres the Defence Department has prepared a new form of "acquittance roll.” One of those lorms will bo supplied to each company, trocm detachment, etc., and every member of the com pan v will sign his name alongside the amount of pay and allowances coming to him under the regulations. These rolls arc to be given to the officer commanding the Rod force, who will iorward them to the District Office, which will pay out on thorn immediately.

Yesterday the Permanent Artillery mobilised on a war footing and with baggage, camp equipment, etc., moved out to man the forts on Miramar Peninsula. On Thursday night the Wellington and Petone Navals will join the camp. In future Defence Cadet Corps (other than those belonging to colleges and high schools) will be attached to the local volunteer corps.

Captain M. E. Lindeay, 7th Dragoon Guards, who has been spending his leave with relatives in New Zealand, left yesterday, en ionto for England, to join his regiment at Colchester. The Guards will shortly go to Egypt. Colonel Robin, C. 8., Chief of the General Staff, returns to Wellington to-day. from an official visit to the South.

Colonel Tufion, Quartermaster-General of the Forces, will leave Wellington for Auckland to-day, in order to be present at -(he Easter manoeuvres in that city.

Major J. G. Hughes, D. 5.0., leaves for Westport to-day to watch the Easter manoeuvres there.

Major Hume. R.N.Z.A., leaves for the South to-day to act as Coast Defence Commander and artillery staff officer during tho Canterbury district Easter manoeuvres.

The following military promotions are gazetted :—Acting-Captain A. J. Pethcrick D Battery, to be captain; Sir James Mills, Kt., *to be honorary captain No. 2 Cotnjfcvny New Zealand Engineer Volunteers: Lieutenant 0, B. TLjrton to be acting-captnin; Mr J. G. Roache to be Lieutenant Wellington Post and Telegraph Rifle Volunteers; Mr V. R. S. Meredith to be acting-lieutenant No. 1 Company Wellington division N.Z.G.A.V. Veterinary-Captain Reid has been appointed veterinary officer to the Red force at the Easter manoeuvres.

Hie Excellency the Governor has revoked the warrant accepting the services of the' First Railway Pioneer Volunteers (Dunedin).