THE DEFENCE FORCES,

Otago Witness, Volume 06, Issue 2899, 6 October 1909, Page 14

THE DEFENCE FORCES,

Br Sexi?stl

A definite decision in regard to the field Work to be engaged in by the local troops

on November 3 has riot yet tteen iuaftfo. It is possible, however, that the district beyond the Chain Hills may be tie scene of action. This country has been covered in connection with the recent War Game at the Officers* Club. If this proposal is adopted there will be a 6taff ride for officers prior to the day of operations. ' aptain M'Jiab {Active Last) some time -«i,j promised a shield for competition, pmongst the equations of the 2nd Regimen* 0.M.11. The .shield, -which ' will be awarded to the uuxst: efficient squadron, has been ordered from Home, and will probably 6t*>n rec«:i tbo Dominion. '..lecruiiiog in connection with the mounted forces of the district continues in a Satisfactory asaasaar*. Tfae- Otti^o Hussars liaoe reached 80, out. of an establishment of 84. The North Otago Mounted Rifles are 73 strong, the Clutha Mounted Rifles 73 (with 25 mere coming in), the Tuapeka Mounted Rifles 70, and the Maniototo Mounted Rifles 48. > • > • The Gazette of September 23 notifies as follows:— Captain D. 8. Columb, Hibernian Cadets', resigned, and appointed Nontenant Z<»aiandia Rifles; Lieutenant J. White, Wakaiiipu Mounted Rifles, resigned, and posted to Active List (unattached) ; Gaptain Jas. Mackenzie, Cromwell Rifles Reearve, lesigned, and posted to the Retired List.-. The .First Railway Pioneers • are losing fhe:r commanding officer, Captain. Searle, who is taking up hie residence at Oair.aru. Captain Searle hokls the distinction of being Iho first captain of the first conipany of the kind in the Dominion. Ie was largely due to his efforts that such a company v.-a 6 called into boing. 'roviouslv Captain Searle had had an -r.ourable careei with the Caversham ftos._ He, is one of the most eirtJmsiast-.ic :oip in the district, and a recrular "visitor >' Trentho'n. The sending" of an Otago jam of riSeman to the Now South Wale? ibi!c > meeting vras tho outcome of hi 3 vrrgealion. i\;e_ following significant paragraph ap- • Jp&'V, in District Ord;rs in conrj'rction with tho announcenrani: of the awarding of the Government modal for the ba^t skot in <stasro:— "Xo. 40 Corporal C. W. Norris, Bluff Guard Rifl« Volunteers, and No. 132 Sergeant J. R. Forrest, Alexandra South Rifle Volunteers, having tied with 2SB points, th-e Officer Commanding the District reeomendod the award of the medal •v- to Corporal Ncrns, on the grounds of the far greater gc-ncral efficiency of Iho company and battalion to which he belong-ed." 1"*1 "* Another batch of booklets from thosa agsressivo publishers of military literature, Messes Gale and Polden (Ltd.), London, '.-s to hand. In ''The Field Gunner's Catechism" Major A. T. Anderson gives in the form of question and answcv a host of \aiuable tn formation for Field Artillery. ' The Magnetic Compass and How to Use It," by Captain R. F. Le-rpe, includes a larg9 diagram of the co:npas^, and, in concise form, hints as to tho method of using the instrument. The third work embodies " A System of Free Gym.sasS.ics based on tha Sived.sh Syaieiri, Including Light Dumb-bell Drili." It is by .rergoant-major J. B. Betts, and .s profusely illustrated. The appearance of Inlr Begg as captain in the North Duuedin Rifles Bugle Team photograph, to. which reference was mads at the valedictory social, raises the point as to whan a candidate who is elected by a company actually becomes an officer. Trie O.C. District states that, although it is understood •it is th~e custom to consider a nun ah officer from the moment of his election, his authority and position are in no way recognised until his appointment is signed Tsy the Minister of Defence. -'he returns (almost complete) of parades throughout Otago on Dominion Day show ihafc the total number (exclusive of School Cadets, of course) on parade was 2126. This number includes 566 Defence Cadets and 32 members of Defence Rifle Clubs representing two clubs. The details are as follow:— R.N.Z. A., 22; Garrison Artillery, 135; Field Artillery, 80; Engineers, 53; Ist Railway Pioneers, 20; Field Ambulance, 27; Garrison Band, 30; Ist Regimtnt Mounted Rifles, 201; 2nd Regiment Mounted Rifles {incomplete), 87Ist battalion 0.8.V. (no return from Palraerston Rifles), 274; 2nd Battal on 0.R.V., 302; 3rd Battalion 0.R.V., 161; 4th Battalion 0.R.V., 137 ;, Ist Battafino Defence Gadets, 118; 2nd Battalion Defence Cadete, 71; 3rd Battalion Defeoce Cadeta, 148; Defence Cadets attached to battalions, «tc., 236; Defence BJfte Clubs, 62. . The marchitag of the Dun*3in troops on point of -rieir, ferrjyjflood, W tftete- are ■till a few wrtionlars that require attention. At most of. our parades tb» iwagger air of the Begalani is altogether nnsKjig. There is not enoagh "^n*p." in.{ie w^robJ t?* £*£&**. <**'<»•»• 4of f J &Jitbat cTt# atteJttion tfi pot paid *o the B^ioMinz; ft the awns. Thfey «holrid' swing vi a natural manner from front- to rear, tending at the «ibow joint. Thi* littfo detail :s cultivated "by some ooros, bat others fttelk past the salntinjr poiai xritit arms ligti ; w Xa&iot^tibb. The Keg'ittr

swings his arm sharply and neatly, and so creates an impression of soldierlike precision. Then again, while the majority m The ranks endeavour to preserve their dressing and covering, it is noticeable that many {and some non-coms., too) have not dropped the unsoldieriy habit of nodding to Tom, Dick, and Harry on the rout*. In order to cover correctly, it is essential' that fh<3 eyes be kept straight to the front; with an occasional glance along to the left for the purpose of dressing. If the eyes wander in the direction of the kerbstone critics, covering and dressing must inevitably suffer. And just a word to those who, by their rank, are entitled to march oatside the column of fours. They, too, are part of the parade, and must cover off in their own rank. The officers and non-coms.' ranks are often .n a deplorable state as regards covering, possibly because? these have to watch their rankers aad correct mistakes. This, however, oould surely bo performed from the distance laid clo-nm La -tfce book. Talting in the ranks is now, happily, almost a thing of the past. This is as it should be, and a decided improvement is noticeable of late, although en Sunday there wore somo vho carried on conversation with neighbours. In wheeling it is laid down that the inside man should mark time. Th.s is a point that seems to be overlooked, as most of the wheeling on Sunday was not done in a right angle, tor the troops went rcund each corner with quite an artistic sweep. If the inside man marked time no ground would be gained at dl. It being -enerally conceded that fie colonial soldier is moro intelligent iiian bis Regular brother at Home, 'there should to no difficulty m grasping the pr.ncipies of ceremonial inaiohin; . Strict attention to detail is absolutPiy necessary— a is the little things that cour.r. There ivere so.no camtal musters -jn Sunday— notably B Battery \ which had to leave some out for want ot uimoinis), tre Di :\edin Xavals, the Engineers, and {he Garrison Band. The Non-commiss.onod Officers' Club closed its {Cession on September 24- with a pleasant social. The attendance was not large, but the function was eminently successful. A feature of this social was tne met tha.t strong liquors weva dispensed with. The experiment, as is alwajs the ca-e, was So satisfactory that the opinion has been e\i .rested thufc the same nnncp!- should ba * adopted in connection v, .1.1 <-übs-e!iuanr functions. The newly-formed Non-com. Officers' Club at Invercargill has invited the Dun-c-ain -VC'.O. Club to fire a match at Invercargill. If possible a team Mill be sent on Labour Day. Otherwise Tnvercar R ,il vnii be in\itsd to bend a team to Dunedin on that day. The Officer Commanding the D^trK* will inspect all corps t \c<?pt the lnfantrv and Engineer Cadets at trie conclusion of each corps s annual training camp. The Ash.*tanl _ Adjutant-go-noral will inspect the following co.ps a^ uncl-i- :— E Compaq. 3rd i^t^ii.n 0.R.V., Alsvmdra. Jhursdiy. October 7, 530 p.m.; Ca\crsliaui Qofence -Cadets, Montiav, Ocx.be i- £; V.aln IWoikc' C.rkt-, il u r:da^ October 18: Hibernian Defence Cadet-- ' Tresday, October 19. breaking at the annual jrcnera! meeting of tho City ot London Rifle Club, Mr J. J. Stewart! defciiv'-. d th-» jn-.ct.-a of bull- eye shcotin": •' Tho n:.o!>^a! c c v u' demnatioa of buil's-eyu sho-jiing by tho army authorities i-s," lie sa ; d. " much to be deprecated, as it destroys at onco the iurpst and most solid foundaiion upon which the building up of a good rifle .shot is based. It may ho stated as an axiom that tho only way to obtain complete control cf the rifle is to practice constantly at a fixed mark and at a known distance, and under conditions which enable a marksman to se^e the result of his shots, for by this means we are training the mind to perceive the sum of the cause and effect of the process of aiming and firing the rifle. . . . Apparently the Army Council does not consider individual accuracy in collective fire of any great moment. A great authority has, however, stated that 'perfect concentrated collective fire is obtained by the individual skill of the individual marksman,' and we have, further, no less a testimony to tlie value of the individual than that of Field-marshal Sir Evelyn Wood, who has recently stated that ' a few accurate shots are of more velue in war than a hurricane of indifferently-aimed ballets.' With such a statement the man in the street must agree, and I venture to consider tha* a few of the Bisley marksmen would have proved a valuable acquisition to either belligerent m the late war in Manchuria. . . . Practice under aimless conditions does not enable th«r rifleman to learn his weapon, but experience has shown that those who have attained proficiency, at visible marks at known conditions, with very little training, acquire considerable skill with the riQ« a£ targets wok** •af>or&i«A«|eiy >*epro*3rit war obtiditioaif; ' ■'(■■•- -..',."..

- Naar the chalk qli&rribS i '.afc KoHJjfteet the ■ fouAdaiioae of * ' Itamaa vifla. Baw beieft ' paveojents^ many |n^me«ts b€ pottery, anda Ronwm w«J9 12ft deep. The Britfsb rfoop Merlin h«s beep engaged- on & myaierioiu <uxe«t. She k reported to have been rendering *id to an American citizen *ho lias Been captured bfr pirates off the East Court of Borneo. \