NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 23734, 15 February 1939, Page 3

NAVAL AND MILITARY NOTES

FROM MESS DECK, PARADE GROUND. AND RIFLE RANGE By Bull’seyc NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE No. 7. Dated February 9, 1939 Staff Appointment.—Lieutenant W. C. T. Foley, N.Z. Staff Corps, is appointed Assistant Area Officer, No. 11 Area, Dunedin. Dated January 18 1939 OTAGO DIVISION R.N.V.R. Weekly Training Otago Division R.N.V.R. will resume weekly training at headquarters on Monday, March 1. The Division will assemble as a whole at 7.30 p.m., when a programme of training for the ensuing year will be outlined. Voluntary Training Instruction in wire-splicing for ratings embarking for training afloat in H.M.S. Wakakura, will be available this evening. Instruction in W/T and V/S for wireless and signal ratings will also be available. Training Afloat. The Fourth Section, Otago Division, embarked in H.M.S. Wakakura on February 11 to carry out seven days’ training afloat. During this period practical training in seamanship, minesweeping and gunnery will be proceeded with. Physical Fitness Week Thirty ratings will take part in the physical fitness parade under the auspices of the Physical Fitness Week Committee, on Saturday next. The ratings taking part will muster at headquarters on Saturday morning at 10 o’clock. Preparation for this parade was carried out on Monday night. Air Raid Precautions Display Seven Otago Division ratings volunteered to take part in the recent “Air Raid Precautions Display ” carried out at Aramoana. The ratings made camp with the A.R.P. organisation on February 3, and took part in the general activities of that organisation, until the breaking of camp on Sunday evening. The favourable comment of the A.R.P. Executive on the general all-round conduct and activities of the ratings reflected credit on the division as a whole. ARTILLERY Sutton Camp The Sutton military camp is at present being occupied in turn by thi South Island batteries. Already two batteries have completed training, viz., 9th Field Battery (Christchurch) and 12th Field Battery (Dunedin). The 9th Field Battery left Christchurch on January 28 and travelled by road to Sutton, stopping overnight at Timaru, Oamaru, Kurow and Dunedin, reaching the latter on January 31. The battery left Dunedin for Sutton on February 1, and carried out live shell practice at Sutton on February 2 and 3, and returned to Christchurch by train on February 4. The 12th Field Battery took up the running at Sutton on February 4, travelling there by road. After a strenuous but serviceable week the battery returned to Dunedin. 10th Field Battery (Christchurch) is at present in occupation of the camp, having gone 'n on February 11, and it will return to Christchurch on February 18, 14th Medium Battery (Dunedin) will leave Dunedin by road for Sutton on February 10, and on completing seven days’ field training will return to Dunedin on February 25. Live shell practice will be carried out by this battery on Thursday (all day) and Friday morning, February 23 and 24, The last artillery unit to go into Sutton camp will be the 16th Light Battery, N.Z. A, (Christchurch), which will follow the 14th on February 25, returning to Christchurch on March 4. 12TH BATTERY AT SUTTON Successful Week’s Training Thj 12th (Field) Battery, N.Z.A., returned to Dunedin on Saturday last after completing a successful week’s training at Sutton. Major J. F. G. Stark was in command, having with him Captain J. C. McFarlane (second in command), and Lieutenants L. J. Fahey, J. G. Warrington and L. A. Hogg. Lieutenant G. R. Kirk. N.Z.M.C., acted as medical officer, whilst Captainchaplain W. Greenslade was the padre in attendance. Captains W. Pollard, R.N.Z.A., and J. R. Page, R.N.Z.A., were adjutant and camp commandant, and artillery instructor respectively Colonel P. H. Bell, D. 5.0., N.Z.S.C. (officer commanding the Southern Military District), and Lieutenant-colonel R. E. Sleigh (officer commanding the 3rd Artillery Brigade) visited the camp during training. Flight-lieutenant Kay piloted a Royal New Zealand Air Force machine which co-operated with the battery during shell practice. Flightlieutenant Kay, it will be remembered, took part in the Centenary Air Race. The first four days of the battery’s field training were occupied with battery manoeuvres. Thursday night was devoted to the occupation of a gun position by night—the zero lines having been laid down during the day. The position was taken up by the battery under cover of darkness, the work being carried out under ;ctive service conditions, in absolute silence. Two series of shoots were carried out, Thursday with blank, and Friday with live shell ammunition. The aircraft, which was in constant wireless communication vith the camp, made observations from which the fire was put down on both occasions. The messages were sent into camp from the air and relayed to the battery commander by short-wave wireless, The exercises carried out were the registration of zones of fire, the neutralisation of fire on areas containing machine guns and light automatics. and the bringing of fire to bear on infantry and transport on the march Concentration of fire on a strong point and registration on lines of fire predicted by survey methods were other exercises carried out. The battery’s Lewis gun also co-operated in air defence exercises, in addition to carrying out range shooting with live ammunition. Satisfaction with the week’s work and the results of the shooting in particular was expressed bv the '«nior officers. After a brief spell, the battery •■/ill take up its course of weekly 'raining at Central Battery OTAGO REGIMENT Commencement of Training Members oi the Otago Regimental Depot resumed training at a parade held at the Drill Hall last evening. An inspection was carried out by the officer commanding the depot.