THE DEFENCE FORCES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 16538, 11 November 1915, Page 6

THE DEFENCE FORCES

Br Skntbt. The Coast Defence Detachment is losing the services of Major Doull, who has received notice of his transfer to Tiroaru as Collector of Customs. Major Doull was associated with the Dunedin Navals, and since the disbandment of that company has assisted the Territorial scheme. Since the departure of Captain Jones for the front, Major Doull has commanded B Company, Coast Defence Detachment. He has always been an enthusiast in riflo shooting, and for many reasons his departure will be regretted. As the call for men becomes more clamant, the young man who can, but won't, is finding his position daily more and more uncomfortable. He knows he is being talked about; there comes from his friends an indefinable, impalpable, but none the less perceptible suggestion that his moral credit is declining. Employers are beginning to make him feel that there are expectations he has so far failed to justify, and that later on some active encouragement may be considered necessary. It is a truly pitiable state of affaire, and makes one feel shame that his country harbours such craven or selfish individuals. Hitherto some of these have adopted the plan of registering as a pretence of good intent, and then_ failing to attend when summoned for medical examination, hoping for 'the rehabilitation of their reputation by the claim that they have offered. From now, on such will certainly get public credit for having enrolled, but the circumstance that thev have failed to go on with the proposal will have equal publicity. On the door of the Defence Headquarters is displayed to the public gaze a lengthy list of men who have registered but failed to turn up for medical ins T *ection. 1 Similar lists will be exhibited at each group (headquarters office.. Presumably the man who wishes his name removed from such an unflattering announcement ms,y do so by giving evidence of his sincerity. About 100 Territorial and Senior Cadet officers and N.C.O.'s are at present undergoing a course of voluntary instruction at Wingatui Racecourse. The numbers, which probably constitute a record, so exceeded expectations that the instructional staff had to be augmented., Captain D. B Stand is in command, with Staff Sergeants-major Stevenson, Laffey, Henderson, and Fretwdlll, and Corporal Power, R.N.Z.A., assisting. The men are comfortably billeted in the totnlisator house for sleeping, while the outside grand stand is the messing place for all ranks. The culinary department is being well managed, the fare provided giving general satisfaction. Reveille is at 6.30, and bracing physical drill from 7 to 8 gives zest to the day. Owin- to the large attendance, it has been deemed necessary to divide the company into squads. Musketry, squad drill, and semaphore signalling, etc., are practised all day, and judging bv the enthusiasm shown, a marked improvement should be apparent when the camp* is. dismissed. Lectures are given each evening by Captain Shand and Sergeant-major Stevenson. A notable feature of the attendance figures is the brave showing of Southland —i.e.: —Group XIII (Dunedin): Territorials —1 officer and 5 N.C.O.'s; Senior Cadets—l2. Group XIV (Invercargill): Territorials—l 3 officers and 19 N.C.O.'s; Senior Cadets—3B. Group XV (Oamaru): Territorials —1 .officer and 4 N.C.0.15. Group XVI (Milton): Territorials—3 officers and 6 N.C.O.'s.

For Territorials, general training section (under £5 years), and Senior Gadets in Group XIII the annual grouty rifle meeting, fixed for Saturday, December 11, at Pelichet Bay, offers a splendid opportunity to indulge with profit and pleasure a taste for rifle" practice. The programme provides for five matches, the prize money is worth goin" for, ammunition is freehand the entry fees 'are small, 7s 6d admitting the seniors and 5 s the cadets to all match as. The following extract from a letter from a Dunedin young man in the Postal Department at Alexandria gives a fleeting glimpse of the immensity of the postal work in Egypt:—"l am sorting letters and going through them afterwards in, alphabetical order, checking each letter with the man's casualty card, and re-directing the letter accordingly. So far I have been on the London infantry lot, and as their letters would fill a potato sack, packed tia;ht, you can guess what a job we have. Last mail we got in consisted of 497 bags, and we get a similar one once a fortnight from New Zealand, besides having to deal with mails from other places, and also the letters from the peninsula. And there axe only 20 men to deal with it." _ It i*6 understood that the'defence rifle clubs are to receive this year an allowance of ammunition similar to that granted last year— i.e., 100 rounds per man. The Dunedin Defence Rifle Club, whose season has been to some extent dependent upon the decisionunder this head, is now calling a meeting to discuss the opening of the season. The decision to abandon for this year the Otago Riflo Association's annual prize-firing meeting was for many reasons almost inevitable. Last year the programme, based unon an entry of 120, brought together onlv, 79 competitors, and, in spite of a grant of ammunit : on from the department, a loss of about £15 was sustained. Since then the call of Empire has absorbed more of tho shooting' men of the district, and the impossibility of obtaining now rifle barre's to replace worn out ones has created a farther difficulty. The Government grant of £12 10s to the Ota2:o Rifle Association will therefore be distributed this year amongst the other three rifle associations in the district. It seems a misfortune that rifle-shooting should languish in days when there is an especial demand for crack shots, foi men liko Trooper W. E. Sinsr. of Central Queensland, who, during 15 weeks at Anzac, with tho 2nd Light Horse Brigade, is credited with a tally of 100 Turks from his own sharpshooting, without counting what execution he may have done during rapid firing at night or in attacks. Most of his kills were . made from a dug-out commanding three points—an enemy trench 350 yards away, a comunication sap 500 yards off, and a track in a gully 1000 yards away. Success of this character" is attributed to the advanced service matches on tho National Rifle Association's annual programme. A supplv of little bullet-case neneil-holders issued hy Princess Mary, as a Christmas gift to every man in the British Empire mobilised on Christnus Day, 1914. has reached New Zealand These covetcd little gifts were distributed to the men in the - trenches, and to those who were invalided home at that time. Group officers have now received supplies for distribution to men who returned to Now Zealand prior to Christmas Dnv, 1914.

If. is not the lot of every officer to win popularity with his men. A little more cultivation of the introspective habit would somet : mes explain the failure and suggest tho remedy. The wicked little story tint followe'th provides a rather sorry testimonial to the popularity of the officer involved -a iiTsonolity not unknown in Now Zealand. The officer, it is raid, happened to he walking along the heaeh at Gallipoli, when a restive mule kicked out at him, with effecti""" aim. hanpily. doing no serious damage. Th« narrator observed a soldier hurryto tho for a ere depot and return with a cenerous armful of hay. "What are you coins to do?" he asked; and the.soldier m°de reply: ' r oing- to give that mulo n ri_— (rood feed !" Of books on musketry there is ho end to the makiner. One of tho latest i« "Tho Teacher," designed by Captain A. Morr'S 'instructor of musketrv to the Falmouth Garr-'son). 7th Royal Fusiliers, as a comnlete <niide for instructors of musketry, nnd i«i" > '-l in hindv form bv Gale and Pol(T.H.). Th- waiter aims at enabling t-h« or N.C.fl. to cain a thorough Vrin-vlfdco of his without brine compelled to comm't to memory musketry re<r'ilation=. nnd to him so that ho shall make his musketry instruct'on "an interest'-'and instead n dull nnrn.de. book abounds .with illuch-nh'ons. and f«"'udes some chapters "•1 formations in aiv' machin* guns. T l '" same Iw-.-o has '"ssued a war ed'tion T-T helpful littlo book "How to Keep 'Fit.'"