TRAINING AT RAUMATI BEACH

Otaki Mail, 31 March 1939, Page 2

TRAINING AT RAUMATI BEACH

Railway buses, private cars and motor-lorries were required to transport the gild Field Company, New Zealand Engineers, from Wellington ta Raumati Beach for the company’s week-end bivouac. The bivouac was held in tine weather and was attended by more than SO members of tlie unit, under the eommanu of Major C. H. Beach, with Captain E. 1. Hubbard, second-in-com-mand, Captain D. Brown, medical officer and Lieutenants A. Jones, \". i-\ Conn /Uy, R. Pemberton and Harris, assisted by Lieutenant P. G. Monk, N.Z.S.C., adjutant and Stall-Sergeant R.-Baigeat. X.Z.P.S. After the ten lines had been established, lunch was served and in the early afte.ac n till sections were instructed in tlie preparation of barbetlwire obstacle, the double apron-fence with iron screw pickets being chosen. Later sections were moved to the beach, where the tactical situation was explained. l’i.ls presupposed the defence ot' the beach by an infantry battalion, and the preparation by engineers of tlie central sector. This requir'd the construction of 3 forward and one reserve action posts, machine gun posts and one beach gun emplacement, all to be concealed from the sea and adequately camouflaged irom the a i r. The sandy nature of (lie soil necessitated revetting by means of sandbags, corrugated iron and brushwood hurdles, ill the ease of section and machinegun ousts. Wire-netting screens and superimposed vegetation provided et- . active concealment from above. Machine-guns commanded the beach from the- sides with central rifle lire. 'Pile beach gun covered frontal -approach from the sea. The emplacement was provided with sandbag protective works and tubular scaffolding supported a screen of varying layers ot new wire-netting which, while admitting ihe passage of light and so preventing betraying shadows to aerial observation, effectively broke up the solid form masses beneath and blended with the surrounding sand. Tiie works were continued nl night, without lights us much tis possible, and completed on Sunday, when they were inspected by Major L. Hunt, staff officer in charge of No. •" area, who expressed his satisfaction with the scheme, and suggested improvements in the scope of reserves with a post giving fuller control of the section under certain circumstances. Gamp was struck at approximately 4 p.in., find the unit returned to Wellington.