THE TERRITORIAL FORCES

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7345, 25 January 1911, Page 1

THE TERRITORIAL FORCES

INSPECTION BY COMMANDANT i GARRISON ARTILLERY TO LOSE NAVAL UNIFORM .Major-General A. J. Godley, C. 8., Commandant of the Porccs, is" showing groat interest in. all the Territorial Corps throughout the. Dominion. Accompanied by his staff officer, . Captain Spencer Smith, ho inspected tho Pelone Naval Artillery ait Port Kelburne, Ngaha.UT.-mga, last night. Practically every member of the company was on parade, which was in command of Captain lievan, the subalterns being Lieutenants Hollis and'. Andrews. The divisional staff was represented by Lieutejtant-Colonel. Campbell, Majora Courtney and Menzics, and .Captain Micklte, H.N.Z.A. ' Captain G. ' S. k Biciardson, Chief Instructor, GarrisW and Pield Artillej-y was,; also present^ The Commandant took a, keen interest in the parade and closely watched the men at their work. lie visited each detachment in turn,. and after ho had seen the first relief caa-ry out its duties, ho remained while tho second relief., carried out the same work. ,•

AYhm the gun manning was compl&ted the men were formed up oh the manning parade and addressed by the Commandant, lie said lie had heard a "great deal about the Petono Navals before he - left England, and he was suto from what •he had seen that night that tiiey fully deserved their fine reputation.. , "Under the new defeueo scheme they would bo one of the throe companies "of fHo. Wellington Garrison "Artillery division: and while, he hoped they would always beknown as the Pe.tono Nanals, and would live up to their, traditions, it was-'his duty to tell them that they.would have' to lose their naval uniform. " Tlieymiist boar the loss cheerfully, and admit that it was impossible to go bii' in the future as in. the past. Under the . old organisation there were dozens -.of'■; different.patterns and uniforms, but such -a stateof affairs would bo unworkable under the, new' scheme. He was fully' aware .of the excellent shooting records they hud made in the post. They were known as a good shooting company, a,hd ho looked forward to witnessing thci'r.anjnual gnn practice next year. On Thmrsday, .February 2nd, Mai or-. General Godley will go out to the Wellington Navals* camp at Fort Dorset.Ho' ml remain in camp all night ajid witness"-' the annual service practice with the two newly-mounted six-inch guns,on the following, morning. - i . ___« ' CLiSSIFICATION-FlfiST CLASS D BATTERY'S PROUD: POSITION. As a result of the service practice, with live shell carried out by the D Battery at Featherston tho corps has been ' classified first-class' for the current yeai-. , Tho: Battery did exceedingly well, although : the standard of former years/was not quite reached owing to a shortage' of officers, The gunners are to bo congratu-; lated on their good work, the classification, gained showing the keenness and'en. thusiasm of all ranks., '. ;ox\.', • ;:'■ KECRUITING BRl^t'; CORPS- BEING STRENGTHENED,;;, Recruiting for'the various- territorial .units in the .AVellington district is : very, active at the present-time.:: Corps which.;', Jwere considered "dead"' have again' (sprung |into life and are now up to the full- cm-'' itablishinent permitted-under the jteer". system. Particularly noticeable 'is :tke change in the country districts, where; 'the mounted troops are practically-all up' to full strength. .'■;,■■ OTHER MATTERS. ... Sergeant H. B.> Peers, of Wellington, ■> late of tho First lung's Dragoon Guard*, : and Sergea-nt Roberts, ofCanterbtajy'fprmerly of the Royal Horse Artillery, havei peec. given probationary appointments: as jsergeant-instructors under tho new: defence scheme. They will _go into the ( Tauherenikau. traiiiin g camp, for :ins'truc-! tion. ...-.•■ '■''.".•.'■■- -. . ; I Colonel Chaytor, officer ■' comin anding ( Itho Wellington district, -will leave Wel-'j: |lington for Wangattui on February. Bth! '. to inspect the Second Battalion 'Welling-'-'ton"Rifles. He will afterwards proceed to Napier to, inspect -the Third Wellingion'Rifle Battalion. : .'■ .:.-•-"■ ' j One .of the results of the recent' conference - between officers commanding corps, .and the officer commanding tho district will be.the attachment of the South Waizarapa Mounted Rifles to the Manawatu squadron. . '