GAARISON ARTILLERY

New Zealand Times, Volume L, Issue 11438, 7 February 1923, Page 3

GAARISON ARTILLERY

AT FORT DORSET. AIANNING THE BIG GUNS. Members f f tbe 15th Battery, New Zealand Garrison Artillery, are at present in camp at Fort Dorset and Fort Ballance. The camp commenced on Saturday last, and will finish next Saturday. The first two days have been taken up in revising the elementary stages of garrison drills, such as battery foot drill, fort manning, and gun drill. The various companies are hard at work practising their different duties for the shoot which will take place ,on Friday and Saturday. To close the camp on' Saturday an “at home” will be given at the two forts, to which all friends of the Garrison Artillery men will be invited. This will he an apportunity for the public to have a look over the forts which would otherwise be closed to them. The shoot which will take place on Friday and Saturday at Fort Dorset will he a big one. "The two six inch, 100 pounders, with a range, of between 10,000 and 11,000 yards, will be fired alternately at tbe target, which will be towed across the Straits by the s.s. Janie Seddon. Signallers will be aboard the boat, and the results of the firing will he sent in by them. On this company the success of the shoot will mainly rest, for had signalling will entirely hold up the shoot. The company, however, is working hard to attain the high standard of efficiency required of it. The D.R.F., or range finders also have to be very efficient in their work. Some of the men are staying in the camp overnight, and are thereby obtaining the full benefit of the week’s holiday from work; others return to their homes at night. For the benefit of those staying in camp an oven is provided and the food is cooked in a proper manner. The savoury smell which comes from this quarter about dinner time is somewhat irritating to the men who have brought their lunches out with them.

Hot tea is provided for all at lunch time. A ten minutes’ smoke-oh is allowed morning and afternoon. All the men are very zealous in their work, and everything is carried out in proper style. They are all thoroughly enjoying the healthy camplife. The trip to and from the forts is made on the s.s. Janie Seddon, and as a rough sea was running yesterday the two trips were quite a novel feature, and all the territorials quite enjoyed the tossing about they received. Three hats were lost on the trips, and one canny individual was heard to remark that if this weather keeps up throughout the week, the Defence Department will he put to considerable expense through loss of equipment—and other things! The boat leaves the wharf each day at 8 a.m., and the return trip is made shortly after 5 o’clock in the evening. The Fort Ballance details parade at Fort Dorset for foot drill, and afterwards leave by boat for their own fort, where they " Carry on with fort manning. A shoot from this fort will also take place on Friday and Saturday of this week.