A HURRIED DEPARTURE

New Zealand Times, Volume XL, Issue 9092, 10 July 1915, Page 10

A HURRIED DEPARTURE

LARGE NUMBER OF MEN LEAVE TEENTHAM.

At an early hour yesterday morning all was bustle at Trentham, the reason for the activity being that the authorities had decided to provide other camping grounds for the men. Late on Thursday afternoon the question had not been decided, but at 5 o’clock word reached headquarters that it was decided to shift the men to other camps. During the night arrangements were made and an advance party moved out. Yesterday morning a large detachment of mounted men made their way over tho Rimutakas to Tauherenikau, where a camping ground has been chosen for them, and by Monday morning upwards of 7000 men will have left the campThe force has been divided up into four camps, as follow.— Eangiotu (near Fox ton): Trentham Regiment (the Earl of Liverpool’s Own), .2200 strong. Waikanao; 7th infantry reinforcements, 1200 strong. Tauherenikau; Mounted Rifles, Artillery, and Engineers. Bainesse: 6th infantry reinforcements, 1200 strong. The Eangiotu camp is situated on the railway line between Palmerston North and Foxton, is on sandy soil, and the locality is considered eminently suited for the purpose. An advance party, consisting of Major Macdonald (infantry Instructor), Colonel Tail (officer commanding the district). Dr Frengley (district health officer), and Mr Jickell, left for Palmerston by the Main Trunk train on Thursday night to select a site f or the camp at Bainesse, and the 6th reinforcements were to be sent forward on Sunday, but latt| the camping ground for the unit was moved to Tauherenikau.

The Artillery and Army Service Corps will be occupied until Monday at Trentham removing the baggage and sending it to tho various camps by rail, and will then leave for Tauherenikau.

At' present it is not the intention to abandon the Trentham camp altogether, but only during such time as the sickness among the men lasts and while the hospital and other buildings, now in course of erection, are being built. One thing is certain,, that it will bo at least three months before the camp is occupied again, if then. Tho commandants of the new camps will bo as follow:—Tauherenikau camp. Major W. C. Morrison, N-Z.S.C.; Waikanae. Major A- E. Wolstenholme. 4th (Otago) Regiment; Eangiotu, Colonel Fulton, O.C. Trentham Regiments 6th infantry camp. Major 0. E. Macdonald. Staff Infantry Instructor. Lieutenant-Colonel H. R. Potter, Trentham camp commandant, and his staff' will become an inspectional staff of the several camps, and will be constantly proceeding to and fro between them, reporting from time,'to time to Defence Headquarters, Wellington.