THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15701, 1 March 1913, Page 5

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Br Sentey.

[Itemß o! interest oonoeroing oorps (town and country), shooting, and defence matters gene- ' rally will be accepted Copy, addressed to " Sentry," 6hould be In hand by noon on Thursday.] Major-general Godley will pay a. visit o.f inspection to tho camp of tjie Artillery Brigade and the Engineers at Matarae. He will arrive in Dunedin on March 5, and will inspect the troops in camp on the 7th. With reference to the organisation of the South Island companies formed in connection with the Railways and the Post and Telegraph Departments, so far there is no word of the appointment of officers outside of Lieut-colonel Macandrew —as officer commanding the Railway Corps. It ia understood that recently an officer of the Post and Telegraph Department went through Otago to report upon the organisation of the Post and Telegraph companies. One of the staff sergeant-majors has the books with instructions to arrange training nights for the various companies, and no doubt something will happen shortly. A shooting match has been arranged and will take placo to-day between_ teams representing officers and non-commissioned officers of the 4th Otago Regiment and the Kiwi Rifle Club. The match will be fired on the club's range. The teams are as follow :—Kiwi Rifle Club : Eiflemen Johnson, Brown, Latta, Hik-hin, Keith, Mackay, W. Crimp, Jones, D. Parsons, Keys,. Burgess,, and : Still. Fourth Regiment:. Colonel Smith, Lieut.-colonel M'Ara, Major Moller,,. Colour-sergts. Walker,, Fraser, Rigby, A. Crimp, Sergeants Murphy, Singleton, Corporals -Peattie and Garden, Lance-corporals Edwards, Napier, and Simm. ■ .■ The cadet detained for military discipline at Taiaroa Heads has served his term and departed. There are at present three Territorials undergoing detention for a period of 28 days and two others for periods of 56 days. The arrest 6f one savours of the dramatic. He is an Liver-

cargill Territorial, who eluded his local police and came to Dunedin to row at the regatta, Tne police were present at the regatta at Port Chalmers,'but apparently the defaulter did noli race, but kept out of the way in Dunedin until he found an opportunity to-slip back to Invercargill. The respite, was but.brief, for Nemesis was on his track, and with little delay he was apprehended at Invercargill, the Defence authorities having given to tne folic:; Department a solemn-sounding receipt "for the live body of ,'' and he was duly initiated to the. restricted life at, the Heads. ,■ Life in the detention barracks is not without excitement for the keeper. One of the Territorials at present at the Heads refused to obey an order; .and when he was being placed in confinement until he could be dealt with for insubordination he caught up a form and struck at the keeper. The.tendency has been for the detained to assume an independent bearing at the outset, but after. a few days' judicious handling they are fairly docile. ' The musketry course has provided not a few amusing incidents. In one regiment the men of one squad who for the first time faced the targets at 25 yards scarcely attempted to conceal;their, amused contempt for such a simple task. Before them were eight targets—one for each man—on a sheet about 6ft x 4ft. Hit those?—why they could do it with their eyes shut. The looks of. incredulous astonishment of those who found that they had not even got on'to the sheet were decidedly amusing. One young .man at Pelichet Bay burst into nervous tears when it was his turn to fire, and simply could

not be induced to fire. On a later even ing he overcame his nervousness.

In preparation for the encampment at Matarae of the Field' Artillery Brigade and No. 2 Company N.Z. Field Engineers advance parties. from B Battery and the Engineers, accompanied by Captain Moore and Sergeant-major Dollimore representing the 6taff. left Dunedin on Thursday for the scene of action. Some of the permanent horses had already been sent forward, and the advance parties will • use them for transport. In view of the fact that everything has to be conveyed two miles"'and a-half from the railway station to the site of the encampment, the matter of transport is highly important. The advance parties were to prepare tho camp and'accomplish as much as possible of the transport duties before the main body of troops arrive. The Rev. Mr Balfour (Engineers), the Rev. Mr . Pybus (0. Battery), ' and the Rev. C. J. Bush-King will be the chaplains in camp, and, in addition, the Y.M.G.A. will be represented. Lieutenant-colonel Johnston, Major Maidlow, and Captain Smythe, of the staff, will be in camp during part of the period, < The layman I, will learn with surprise that for the two batteries of field artillery 106 horse 3 had to bo taken .to camp. Forty horsc6 wero ■ brought from Invercargill, while 66 went from Dtmcdin. In addition nine horses wero required for the Engineers. In spite of the strong counter attraction in the shape of, the Garden Fete the members of B Battery mustered strongly on Wednesday evening to receivo final instructions concerning camp. They were dismissed, early. Initiative is a quality desired but often lacking in the soldier. In B Battery, however, the value of initiative has evidently been instilled to some practical purpose. Quite a number of the men made a bee-line "for .the fete after drill. Their arrival was simultaneous with' that of Band. The Pipe invoA. in recognition of its services, had the "open sesame." As the gates were flung wide and the Pipe Band marched through these Battery men, remembering the lesson of initiative, formed up behind and marched in likewise. No doubt they all had tickets ready to present if called upon! . \ B Battery's orderly room looks into the editorial sanctum of this office, and the efforts of tho Battery' 6 glee party ,ha.ve for some time been exercising an influence in the preparation of "the morning paper. Whether the 'influence has been baleful or inspiriting the reader shall judge. This much we will -venture— the camp will be none the less harmonious by reason of tho efforts of the glee party. Members of No. 2 Company Field Engineers are entering upon their period of training under canvas in good heart. One member ha 6 travelled from Winton in order to put in his training with the company. Quite A mountain of work awaits the arrival of the company at Matarae. The following promotions are announced :— Corporal Parker to be sergeant, Corporal Gregg (having passed as master cook) to be sergeant. Sappers Millar, Black, and Atwell have been appointed acting laneecorporajs. The Ist Battalion, 4th Otago Regiment (less F Company) will parade at the Garrison Hall at 2.30 p.m. on Saturdays, Bth March and 15th March.. Dressy Full marching order; great coats must be carried. All ranks will carry rations for evening meal. Special orders for F Company will be issued later. Attendance of men who have put in their 12 half-day parades is optional, but all men who have not completed their 12 half-Jay parades must attend. If they fail to do so, they will be proceeded against for failing to ■ render personal service under section 51 of tho Defence Act. Men whose half-holiday falls on Wednesday will parade at the Garrison Hall on Wednesdays, sth March and 12th March at 2.30 p.m. Dress, etc., as for Saturday parades.' Men who. have completed their 12 half-day parades will parade, at the rifle range as under to continue their musketry course :—A D G Companies—Saturday, Bth March, at 2.30 p.m.; B C E H Companies—Saturday, 15th March, at 2.30 p.m.

About half of the men of the Ist Bat-, talion, 4th Ofcago Regiment, have completed their parades (outside of musketry parades) for the year, .and of the remaining half a groat many have almost completed their allotted number. Officers are expected to advise each man of the number of parades ho has yet to put'in. On the average, about 60 per cent, of the musketry course has been got through'. Territorials using their military greatcoats when not on military duty render themselves liable to a penalty under section 60 of " The Defence Act, 180(3." As the result of the voluntary musketry camp the 12th Regiment is probably the first in New' Zealand to complete the musketry course, Each of the squadrons held a voluntary camp at their own expense, and found this an excellent method of accomplishing the musketry course.

The Infantry Signal Corps will go into camp at. Pelichet Hay on Monday next to carry out their musketry course. The January issue of the New Zealand Military Journal is an' interesting number of a pleasant variety. The editors have still to appeal to readers for articles suitable for publication, and they now intimate that* the original purpose of the journal was to help junior officers, articles, of_an elementary and instructive nature being specially ' desired. A pleasantlywritten and practical " Sanitary Diary," by " J.," probably fills the bill, being full of useful Writs not only for officers but also for men. The Rev. F. W., Chalterton, of To- Rau College, Gisborne, reviews Norman Angell's arresting book " Tho Great Illusion," and A. Spence hangs an ambitious but altogether, readable articlo upon tho question, " Did Moltko Not Know?" " Lieut." F. Waite, whose paper has evidently "stood by ■" long enough to enable him to reach the rank of Major, discourses upon "Surprise in War"; Major G. S. Richardson offers suggestions for the study of field service regulations, and amongst other contributions is a further " slab " of Captain, H. Eyre-Kenny's-- Pen and ( Ink Sketches of Officers Commanding the Forces in New Zealand from 1845 to 1870. Heligoland is to become the most advanced outpost of Germany's aerial navy, according to a recent telegram from Berlin. It is announced that an airship shed is to be built.on the North Sea Island, and that its construction will be begun in the spring. The shed will be of the revolving type, so that it can be used whatever the direction of the wind. It is ,to be buijt in a deep depression called the Sapskuhle, and when needed for the exit or. entrance of an airship it will be raised to tho level of the surrounding surface. At other times it will rest on the bottom of the* depression, the roof bridging the sides of the gap so that,the situation of the shed will be scarcely perceptible. This is the precaution against the dropping of bombs by aeroplanes sent out from hostile warships.