VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2735, 15 August 1906, Page 13

VOLUNTEER NOTES.

Bt Sestet. * '•*"

Another conference of officers commanding district's is to be held in Wellington shortly. The date, I understand, >if not yet fixed, but as the time of ,-lßeneral Babington's departure is approachirfg -no doubt the conference will be held net -ia-tet than next month. Private C. Cooper, of the Dunedirt_Highland Rifles, was decorated with the 12 years' medal ■at the close of the recent inspection by Colonel Robin. According to present indications there secme every likelihood of a fair number of entries fcr the essay competition under the auspices of the Dunedm Officers' Club. The subject is one such as Volunteer officers should feel a- keen interest in, and the question raised is one towards tho solution of which every officer should desire to contribute. It would not be unreasonable to expect, as one officer has suggested, that from -each company there should be at least one competitor. The nrogramme or the military tournament in connection with the New Zealand Exhibition is now in a form requiring only the approval of General Babington before publication. As foreshadowed last week, the Dunedin Hi^Ma^d Rifles have filled the position of junior lieutenant "left vacant by the promotion of Lieutenant Barclay to the Battalion staff. In Mr Macdonald the corps has secured 'an officer whose name, in the fir«t place, is right, and whose traditions are anpropriate to a Scottish company. . He was for five years attached to the Glasgow Highlanders. He has been two years and nine month« in the Capetown Highland Regiment, and during portion of that time serted in the Boer war with A Squadron Kitchener's Horse, which wae drawn from his regiment. He holds the Orange' Free State and Transvaal medals. With this record behind him and with decided indications of enthusiasm. Lieutenant Macdonald will take his position in +Ke< • Highland Rifles, and with ihe filling of the vacancy tn.i^ be expected a revival of interest in tho ranks of the corps. ■ Almost at the same moment the similar vacancy in the Caversham Rifles is I ■understand, to be filled, while a citizen .who has come into some prominence since Tiis arrival here some years ago has been approached with reference to the captaincy j •of the Dunedin Rifles. , No. 1 Battalion Otago Mounted Rifles Tiave decided to go in for a khaki service dress. The Otago Hussars are to be ■measured for the new uniforms on August 15, and it is expected they will appear in the new" dress within a month's time. On the ■ same evening (August 15) the annual meet- . ing and distribution of prizes will be held, i Members, of the Maniototo Rifles team enjoyed the hospitality of the Cavershaa JRifle3 so much on August * th*t they nay» •invited a team from CaYersbam to attor} 3heir annual Ijajl at Rajjfurly on Augw*> j

31 and to fire a return match the following •daj. , The country team has a fairly substamial deficit in the shooting line to wipe oft". The parade of No. 1 Battalion last week forded a striking illustration of how a small incident may have large consequences. The movement outlined was uuon the lines of one accomplished in the time of Colonel Smith, and whilst not very difficult, was practical and interesting. The idea was that a few armed discontents were in po6«e«sion of portion of the city from Hanover street northwards and the battalion forces were to clear them out, the various companies being tolil oft" to pafrol Leith. Castle, Cumberland, King, and George streets. Whilst the companies wore lined up in front of the Garrison Hall a bugler sounded the " Advance," and the O.C. Dunedin City Rifles, interpreting the signal as he heard it, formed fours and marched off. There was evidently some misunderstanding, as the other corps remained in position, moving off later at the desired time. The mischief was clone, however, and the whole movement practically spoiled, the main body of the lrpn ha\ ing to wait at Frederick street until the advance corps returned. It will bo observed from my Southland correspondent's letter that a similar movement was successfully, if necessarily not perfectly, carried out in Invercargill on Monrlav night under the direction of Colonel Robin. In cases where arrangements can be niatlo for the training and instruction of =trPt"hr>r-bearers it is proposed that Artillit\, Engineers, and Infantry shall be al lower) to enlist for such purposes four men per company. " These men are to be supernumerary to the establishment, and to parade with their companies on field days and in camps, but with the Feld Hospital and Bearer Corps for instruction on all other occasions. This would mean that at centres where field hospital and bearer corps exist these men would be trained by the field hospital and bearer corps, attending field days and camps with their corpp and qualifying for capitation as to parades and H camps per regulation for the branch they enlisted to, say, for infantry, genera! regulation 367; or where no field hospital or bearer corps exist, a medical officer or officers are prepared to give the necessary instruction. In order to forward the preparation of the official history of the New Zealand South Africa Contingents, officers and men who took part in the war, and friends who have correspondence from fche front, are invited to forward information to F. E. Beamish, Parliamentary Buildings, Wellington. A correspondent submits for reply several queries: — (1) Where should the rifle (the marksman's badge) be put? — On the left arm, below the elbow (see Gen. Regulations, 300 : " All specialist and proficiency badges shall be placed on left arm only, beJow elbow-."). (2) Where should the red service stars be put? (3) If two stars, how; far.

apart? — The stars would likewise be upon the left arm, below the elbow, and lin apart. (4) Should the rifle bo above the stars, or vice versa? — The regulations do not seem to provide for this, but it would ! seem to be a matter of which happened to ] be won first. If the rifle were on first it ; would seem reasonable to plae? the stars 1 below, or vice verse. (5) Regulations say > a service star may be worn for each three ! ye-ars' service (consecutive). If a man serves j six years continuously, and again six years j continuously (12 years in all) is he entitled ' to four srars, and if so where would he ' put them? Regulations tay nine years' oon<secutive service is rewarded -uith a gold .star. — At the close of six years a man might haw two stars; at the close of the i ninth year these would be replaced by the I gold star: thereafter' no further stars J would be received, instead, the medal for J 12 years' service being awarded, to ba I followed by the 15 years' and 20 years' medals in turn. A further question is held over till next week. The whole question of employment for soldiers returning to civil life has recently been under consideration by a committee under the presidency of Colonel Sir Edward Ward. The committee has been deputed to deal also with another feature affecting the soldier's after-career — i.e., the bestowal on him, while in the army, of an education which will enable him to take his place, on eqv^al tarms, with civilian clerks, accountants, etc., on his return to civil life. In furtherance of this object, the committee endeavoured to discover the most needful subjects the soldiers should be grounded in, and the best way to have him trained in sneh subjects. The report will shortly ba issued, and its reconunendations will doubtless lead to many important developments in tho soldier's training. SOUTHLAND NOTES. My Southland correspondent writes on August 8 as follows: — The local companies representing No. 2 Battalion, 0.R.V., paraded for inspection by Colonel Robin on Monday last. The parade stale showed as follows: — Lieutenant-coloHel Boyne, Major Murphy, District Adjutant Trask, Adjutant Captain Mackenzie, Staff Sergeant-major Thomson, Battalion Sergeant-major Robinson. A Company (City Guards) — 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 48 rank and file ; total 50. B Company (Oreti Rifles) — 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 45 rank and file ; total 47. C Company (Awarua Rifles) — 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 40 rank and file ; total 43. E Company (Mercantile Rifles) — 1 lieutenant, 23 rank and file ; total 26. Battalion Band (Invercaigill Garrison) — 1 bandmaster, 24 bandsmen ; total 25. After inspection the O.C. fclie district detailed a brief plan of operation to be contended with. The idea was that the town was held by a, body of malcontents, who had occupied most positions of vantage, and it was required of the battalion that the place should be cleared of them. ComP*jues moved off to their tcsj^ictne d^^Ji

I and were occupied in conjunction, after the j " Assembly," with some battalion moveI monts until about 10 o'clock. The work was new to the men, and as a consequence there were faults to be found both in methods and line of action. However, the idea generally was understood, and officers and men showed an intelligent conception of what was expected from them. The thoroughness that practice and experience brings was the absent element, but this is easily to be remedied. In future, as suggested by the O.C, Major Murphy will hold battalion parades monthly for the development of this and other battalion movements. These parades will be held in the ■evenings, and the dates will be arranged so that the light afforded by a full moon may be enlisted into the service. Company parades, if anything like musters are obtained, may be us.cd extensively for battalion manoeuvres. The idea is as old as the hills, but the efficacy and good that may bo had from it still obtains. Each section may be utilised as a skeleton company, with the section commander in charge, and senior officers detailed out as in tho management of a battalion. Besides being useful to the officers as a means of \ familiarising themselves with battalion , drill, the instruction to be gained works right down to the man in the ranks. With the fine weather in prospact O.C. companies i would do well to seize the opportunity. On August 29 trfe battalion will muster for manoeuvres and drill. The parade will be a daylight one, with a personal payment per man of 2s od. Advantage will be taken of thk. parade to present Lieutenant-colonel Henderson with a portrait, in oils, of tho late battalion commander, who was extremely popular, and respected by all ranks in tho service. On Tuesday evening Colonel Robin met the officers of the battalion at the Garrison Hall, and delivered an interesting discourse, especially touching upon the work and development of the forces generally. The work as carried o^t on Monday last lost some of its purpose through the signal lamps failing in their duty. _ Those in charge of these lamps maintain that they aro incapable of performing the work that is expected of them, although the idea holds that because they are thought obsolete little trouble is taken over them. However, the signallers could very well have made use of the aoetykne bicycle lamp, and there were numbers in the hall. A soldier should stick at nothing, and on© could not help wondering when the patrols were rushing around on their bicycles why an inspiration "regarding their lamps did not strike the signalling squad to some purpose.

The Christchurch Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is laying an information against an engine-driver in connection with the running over and death of a number of cattle on a branch railway line a short timejgo*