THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 2949, 21 September 1910, Page 14

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

By Sentry.

In addition to church parades on September 25, a ceremonial parade of all Territorials and Cadets throughout the Dominion has been ordered by headquarters for the evening of Monday, September 26, as a fitting celebration of Dominion Day. All troope and Cadets (with the excep tion of the Dunedin High School Cadets) in Dunedin, Oamaru, and Invercargill will, therefore, parade in those- centres at 8 p.rn on that evening. A march through the principal streets is probably oil that will be required. The examination held recently in Dunedin for the puip>'&? of selecting names in connection with the appointments to the permanent staff does not represent the final chance of securing an appointment. Inti mation hae been received from Welling-

ton to the effect that tho examinations * are to bo continued, and that other candidates who may conio forward are to be put " through the teste Lieut. Price's appointment as acting-cap-tain has been receiver!. A parade of tho Wakari Rifles will, therefore, be held shortly and Captain Price will assume com- ' mand. The hone is expressed that this will mark the beginning of a new lease of life for the Wakari Rifle*. The department has honoured Lieutenantcolonel Slater, V.D., who is on the retired list, by conferring upon hiai the rank ct co'onel In tho Gazette of September 8 are announced tho following appointments:—2nd Battalion 0.R.V.. Alexander Ferguson to be pay end quartermaster, with rank of hen. lieutenant; Dunedin Cycle and Signalling Corps, William Fleming to lieutenant; Dunedin Engineers, J. H. Scott re be . lieutenant and F. W. Furkert to be lieutenant; Port Chalmers Navals, \V •<. Mitchell to be lieutenant. The resignation of Lieutenant E. V Freed, of tho Alexandra Rifles, is also gazetted. Whilst <so far the number of those who have joined tho new Defence Rifle Club is not large, the ultimate success of the club is practically assured. A local officer ventures tho prediction that whim tho now scheme is in full swing prize firing amongst the Territorials v»ill be a thing of the past, and the Pelichet Bay range will be almost wholly ocoupitui by the large number of men over 25 yAirs of age who by that timewill have joined rifle clubs in order to follow up shooting. The membership foe in connection with the newly-formed club will be ICXs 6d, and the rules adopted by the Dominion Rifle Association wiil be adhered to, except in the matter of challenges, for which rules adapted to local conditions will be prepared. Owing to tho similarity in name and designation.. Lieutenant-colonel Smyth was named instead of Lieutenant colonel Smitn as chairman at the meeting of tho new Rifle Club. These tao gentlemen hold

divergent views as to the value of rifle shooting as practised by rifle clubs, and the remarks made at. the meeting by LieUi tenant-colonel Smith would not be endorsed

by the O.C District, who, whilst regard ing rifle practice at bulls'-eye* as an excel lent recreation, does not place much valu

upon it as a means towards making effi cient soldiery. The vexatious delays over sending in of parade states arid musketry returns has provoksd strong corrective measures on the part of headquarters. In future all parade states and musketry returns .not frrwarded to the staff sergeant-majors of regiments and battalions within one week after such, parades and practices have been carried out. will not be accepted, in accordance with General Order 2cl, 1910. Attention is directed to General Order 55, paragraph 3:-" All corps hitherto not required to go into camp, in accordance with General Regulations, i 906- will now be required to go into carm> for a period ©f 6even days."

Copies of "Infantry Training. 1905," with amendments to 1903, arc now available for issue, on prepayment, at Is per copy from Defence Stores, Wellington. On receipt of postal note the books will bo forwarded direct to the officer commaiidimr corps.

To have shot into eleventh place in the Daily Mail Empire Day Rifle Contest, in. ■which many hundreds of the best rifle teams' in the British Empire took part, ia something- to be ploud of, and the Fourth Battalion O.R.V. is deserving of all credit for the performance. The possible was 840, out of which the winr.-rs, the Granville Technical Colllege, N.S.W.. made 816 The- Fourth Battalion O.R.V. put on 784, and each member of the team will receive, in addition to a silver medal, a silver spoon, representing the trophy awarded for the highest score in each section of the Empire from which a minimum of 12 clubs competed. About 300 team*; passed tibo 600 mark in the competition. The Granville Technical College team, which fired under excellent weather conditions, had been in existence only two years, but. had not previously been defeated in competitions.

New Zealan.fi is not officially sending a team across to Australia this summer to compete at the New South Wales National Rifle Mooting, but a Wellington team i« going across, each member paying hi> own expenses, and it is expected they will represent the Dominion in the teams' matches.

" new Commandant," says the New Zea'rmd Times, " played an important parr. , in the defence of Mafeking during the last i Boer war. This was one of tne most pic- j turesmie event*! of the, long-drawn-out i ••mpsigrr. and Housed ircmcnidaufi in- '

terest and enthusiasm throughout the Empire as an outstanding illustration of English pluck, audacity, and withal good' management There is no douht that during the first month of the siege, in October, 1899, when the deferres*? of the little, trading town were incomplete, the Boer general, Cronje, could havo taken it, but there was a most remarkable lack of enterprise among the Boer commanders at that time, and when they became more eager, the arrangements made by Majorgeneral Baden-Powell were too effective for them. The siege lasted until May 17, 1900.

"Colonel, or as ho was then termed, Major, Godley was one of 9 the picked officers sent out -with Baden-Powell to train South African recruits, -who became immensely useful because of their" knowledge of the country and their original methods of utilising it without regard to textbooks. Major Godley was iir charge of the western defences of the garrison, and* in accordance with a policy of keeping the enemy impressed with the vigour of the defences, he was ordered on November 7, 1899, to make a night attack on the western Beer, laager, which had been moved close up to the British trenches. The conduct of the attack (states the ' Times History of the South African. War') was entrusted to Major Godley, with 60 of the Protectorate Regiment, 30 Bechuanaland Rifles, and three guns. The' Boer camp was surprised, but on reinforcements arriving. Godley withdrew hjt> force. At a cost of only five casualties, he had accomplished his object, since the Boer laageir was moved further away orr the following' nij-lit.

" In an attack on Game Tree Fort, one of the Boer strongholds to the north of the town, Major Godley was in command of the right wing. Tho attacking party, under Captain Vernon, gallantly advanced 1200 yards without cover, in face of a heavy Pier fire, and attempted to storm the fort. &ome of the attackers even, climbing tho roof. Captain Vernon and two other officers were shot dead, and half the men were killed or wounded, but another attempt was made by a supporting column to storm the fort. It was fruitless, and the courageous men were ordered back to Mafeking. "During the dramatic fmnle of the siege. the capture of Field-cornet Eloff (grandson of President Kru.ger) and 97 prisoners, Major Godley was in charge of the western defences, and was able to post two squadrons in suoh a position as to cut off a party of the assailants who had captured an English outpost. He also drove off a half-hearted attempt by the Boer commander, Snyma.n. to reinforoi? Eloff. who was captured in the evening. Three days later came Colonel Mahon's welcome relieving column. The tremendous value of the defence, is shown by the fact that Baden-Powell and his men kept nearly 10,000 Boers idle during the whole seven months, at a cost to the English of only 35 killed. 101 wounded, and 27 prisoners, while- the Boer losses were estimated at 300."

Dear Sentry,—l notice a correspondent has been wanting to know on which arm i;ho ibadges of rank! etc., should be worn. He says lie has wen them worn on both arms, and that is what was puzzling him. The trouble, I think, comes about in this way: Men wearing naval uniform wear badges of rank on the left arm and efficiency badges on the right: other branches of tha ear vice wear rank badges on the right arm and efficiency badges on the left. The following instructions as to how. where, and when to wear medal* and badges weiie sent to me from the Dcfencn Office Wellington:— Military decorations are worn on the left, breast, sewn on to the jacket, or suspended bv a bar. which must not be seen. In midress, ribands only are to be worn, the length of the riband being half an inch. The following is the order of arrangement :—(1) V.C.j (2) Jubilee or King's Coronation medal; (3) campaign (English) medals—the first medal obtained being nlaeed farthest from the left shoulder: f 4) foreign decorations; (5) meritorious, V.D., or long-service. The D.S.O. is worn immediately after the medal for the campaign in which the decoration was gained. Jloyal Humane Society medals are worn on the right, breast. Shooting medals are not to be worn on oarade. Badges of rank are worn on the left arm, above the elbow, 9in from the shoulder.

Marksmen's and gunnery badges are worn on the right, arm, below the elbow, in the followine order, commencing from the bottom :—(l) Marksman's bad^e: <2) company competitive gunnery hadee for beat shooiincr company; (31 eun badge for efficiency (" G "1: (4) specialist badges for gun layers (" L "\ : 'sl specialist, badges for range finders ("R"l; (6) specialist badges for signallers (cross flags); (7) boating or other badges specially authorised to be worn.

Note.—Shooting medals can only be worn tt rifle meetings when taking part, in competitions, when thev nra to be worn on the right breast. Service stars will lie worn above all other badges on the right, arm. In the case of N.0.0.'5, service stars will be worn on the left, arm, above the badge of ran!:. All the above re badges applies to men '.'earing naval uniform. That in regard to morlals applies to all branches. Of course, perhaps, you may think that there is no necessity for me sending you the above, but T understand we are roing to Vesp the "blue" uniform till the end of the present voliijiicer yc'r, and your noto mav cause members of our cor.jpany to :hink t.hev have their l>adg«s on the wronc arm and cause confvsion. This letter wi'J also put vonr coi-wvnondent's unce»y mind nt rest. —I am, etc. . Gar-.ison Aettl.\sbyuin. I Port Chalmers.