THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3112, 5 November 1913, Page 6

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

. - , By Sextby. The financial prospect which has numbed the hearts of many cadets whose eyes tprned longingly towards the military tournament Aat Auckland has brightened amazingly as the upshot of a meeting of senior cadet officers. Tho outstanding fact is this: that competitors will receive towards their expenses the whole of the money for the tickets they sell for the military display to be held at Tahuna Park on December 6. Anxious to help the boys under the command to get away to take part in tho tournament, the officers decided that they .would retain only the money taken at the gate and tho extra charge for the grandstand to cover the expenses, and that the whole of the money for tickets, sold by the boys should be given to the boys. Lads who are not going to Auckland’ will receive 25 per cent, commission (or 3d per ticket) on all tidkets they may sell to assist their com-, pany teams to make the trip. Colonel Bauchop is interesting himself ,in the project. It now depends upon the keenness of the boys as to whether or not they may make the trip. It is expected that, by the aid of this scheme, about 150 local lads who are anxious to .do so may be able to get ’to Auckland. But the officers are making a " still further effort to help the boys. They

We endeavouring to aTrange with- the Dnion > Steam Ship Company to provide a special ! 7 troop ship for the carriage of cadets and . Territorial from this end of the dominion.

The idea is that the cadets and Territorials should provide themselves with rations suffi- ! cient to carry them to Wellington.\ They would join the troop ship at Lyttelton, and. there being no meals and no bedding to supply, tho boat fare would be at a reduced rate. If this can bo arranged it is suggested that competitors should leave here on December 31 and reach Auckland with tho ■whole of January 2 free for a visit to the Exhibition. Tho tournament takes place on January* 3 and 5, which leaves tho 4th another free day. Tho return journey would be commenced on January 6, Dunedin being reached on the Bth. Those remaining longer and not returning by the troop ship would, of course, have to pay extra. The movement is one that appeals to people For example, tho Tahuna Park authorities have given the scheme a splendid start-off by granting free of cost the use of Tahuna Park for the display. The tournament idea has been abandoned in favour of a display that should bo much more attractive to the public. A large number of Territorials as well as cadets whli take part. Lieut.-colonel M’Ara is

calling a parade 6f tho Ist Battalion. 4rh Regiment, for that day. Leaving the band at the Park, the infantry will probably do some useful training over the hills, and finish up at the Park in time to take ]>art

in a grand march past. The local squadrons of tho sth Regiment, it is understood, will also hold a half-day mounted parade, and besides taking part in the march past, will give a display in tho shape of the Balaclava melee Lloyd-lindsay, and Turk’s head. B Battery will also assist with, possibly, a musical drive and other items, and tho Engineers will add to the attractiveness of tho display some interesting exhibitions by the teams now practising assiduously for the Auckland tournament. A half-day parade for all cadets is to bo called. It is unlikely that tho city cadets will have to march out to the park. Instead of a separate exhibition by each Auckland team, the whole of the teams will be massed for physical drill and rifle exercises. * The cadets’ bugle band, which has made such progress under the tuition of Band-sergeant George, will make its first appearance witli

the full strength of the cadets. The ofllcera who conceived and are carrying out this scheme are showing that personal interest in the cadets which Major-general Godley

strongly enjoined, and the moral effect upon tfio cadets should be good, while the public may be counted upon to back up the efforts of the officers. For the benefit of student l ? desiring to make up for drills retrospective end pres-

pectivo, Captain Eraser instituted last week a series of six whole-day parades. Over 30 men mustered at Pclichet Bay range on Tuesday morning, and spent the day there •with preliminary musketry and drill, with welcome interval for hcaithy application to the contents of haversacks and water bottles. On Wednesday morning the heavy rain drove the men t<r cover, the squad marching to the Garrison Hall, where drC ( l and preliminary musketry again occupied their attention. Weather permitting. Captain Fraser intended that field work shall be practised over Pine Hill and the heights behind Caveraham. Alert and intelligent, the men form a half-company easily drilled, and they are by no means to bo confused withnenetarters who are making up for parade's. The reunion of contingenters at the Masonic Hall, Dunedin, on Wednesday, November 26, promises to be a notable function. Already between 70 and 80 ox-con-

tingontcrs Lave signified their intention to be present. These include a party of about 20 irorn Invercargill. A deluge of speeches is to be avoided. The toast list is not yet available, but it is understood that Colonel I Bauchop and Captain Hickey will be amongst 1 the speakers. I The Arrow town troop of D Squadron, ' sth Regiment, will put in a week 01 vohma tary encampment from December 1 to 7, ! consolidating their day parades in the manner adopted by mounted men in other districts.

i. Tile chaplain who rightly appreciates his ' position is a valuable asset to a unit or company. The Rev Graham H. Balfour ' is one of such. Officers and men of No. 2 Company, New Zealand Engineers. know , him not as a formal appendage but as a ' vital member of his company, sharing in the development and prosperity of the unit in so far as his relation will admit. On Tuesday, October 26. he and Mrs Balfour afforded the officers and men of the Engineers an opportunity of meeting together ; in a less formal relationship than must usually ! obtain. In' one of First Church halls the 1 chaplain and Mrs Balfour played host to the members of the company, a number of ladies assisting. Entertaining numbers by the ladies and members of the company, novel competitions, refreshments, and other items of appeal provided an enjoyable relaxation, and Major Waite expressed a very general sentiment when he returned thanks to the chaplain and those associated with him for a much-appreciated social. It has been decided that .the Dadies’ Challenge Shield competition shall be fired cn Easter Monday, and that it shall be open to all Territorial companies, rifle clubs, and Senior Cadets in the Otago military district, each team to consist of five men. Appended is a list showing the colours proposed for the puggarees for the various cadet companies. Telegraph, Christian Brothers, and Port Chalmers are omitted, the first-named having no cadet uniform of the ordinary pattern, while tho Christian Brothers and Port Chalmers colours have yet to be recommended. Instead of fho lion’s head on the hat, the High School desire authority to use their distinctive badge, and tho Hibernians wish to substitute the harp and crown badge, while the Engineers desire permission to wear on the collar the familiar representation of,the hand grenade. Otago High School, dark blue and white (twisted); No. 3 Company (Engineers), khaki with dark blue centre; No. 9 Company (Caversliam), maroon with primrose centre; i No. 10 Company (Hibernian), dark blue with ■ emerald green centre; No. 14 Company (St. Ivijda), Brunswick green; No. 16 Company (North Dunedin), black with scarlet centre; No. 17 Company (North-East Valley), chocoj late with old gold centre; No. 18 Company (Mornington), royal blue with black centre; No. 19 Company (West Dunedin), rod with black centre; No 20 Company (Roslyn), dark blue with pale blue centre; No. 22 : Company (Green Island), sage green with 1 primrose centre; No. 24 Company (Of ago 1 Harbour), black with old gold centre; No. | 76 (South Dunedin), black with white centre; j No. 73 Company (Technical School), red, yellow, and black stripes.

THE STAFF TOUR. Thirty of the senior officers of the Otago district spent the last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday in October among tfc>e fertile rolling downs linking Balclutha and Lovell’s Flat. The copious rains and heavy floods had left a legacy of fields of refreshing verdure, cut and slashed here and there by glorious gleams of golden gorse, in tho shelter of which the cjuiet ewes with their frisky lambs seek refuge from the gusty gales from the south-west. But the khaki-clad warriors who roamed tho hills had little eye for these rural beauties. Most of the time they were devising fresh schemes for the attack and defence of neighbouring lulls—that is, in such time as they were not chafing their truant hats.

What is a staff tour? Well, the directing staff set a certain problem to the officers in attendance, and after reconnoitring the ground and writing order*:, each one is crossexamined in turn, and ho has to justify before his confreres the dispositions lie has made. In the teeth of a howling gale this is not altogether easy, ami that perhaps is why one embarrassed officer in describing his solution of a problem referred to a certain valuable arm of the service as “ Mounted Trifles.” This the people referred to seemed tc place in the same category as “ Mounted Infantry,” which designation* they also warmly repudiate, as infantry officers might note. In the general idea Eastland and Westland were at war. The boundary ran from Quoin Point (near Altatore) to Clarendon, Berwick, thence to Coal Creek and along the course of the Clutha and Hunter Rivers. The enemy (Wcstlajtd' hacj troops at Balclutha and Twapcka Monyh. In the first place, each officer was jKUt./n charge of the Eastland Mounted Rifle Brigade for a strategical reconnaissance. The different papers were discussed on the Friday night

at the Garrison Hall. Next morning- (Saturday) the officers I tra.vellecl by the first express to Lovell’s i Flat Hero the battery horses wore found ! ready saddled, and the 30 officers rode to \ the Main road and back north a few miles. A halt was called, and the officers were j paired, and those little “ syndicates ” worked together for the rest of the tour. It i is nor necessary here to recount all the ■ situations in 'detail. On Saturday the fol- ! lowing were worked: —(a) Select an out- ; post position, and show it on a sketch map; (b) show where you would place your . pickets and supports. As in all tactical schemes, there was here great difference of opinion as to where the outpost line would • be. Some went cut to. hold the skyline; ' others stayed quite near homo. Then the : position of the supports and pickets was 1 discussed and the points driven home by ; the directing staff. ! For the next problem the officers were, ; by the director’s magic hand, turned into j that very necessary and much-abused personage, the D.A.A. and Q.M.G. The orders j wore: (a) Select and show on a plan the ! site of the various bivouacs for the troops; (b) write out the orders you would issue . for the bivouac. This caused much con- ' sulfation of pocket-books, and when, at BalI clutha that night, the different dispositions i were discussed all officers realised that in a bivouac the infantry should be jicarest the ■ outpost line, the mounted rifles" next (and furthest away, because of their helplessness i when surprised), the guns and wagons. I It was a very tired and weary commando i that went to sleep that night. Each officer decided privily that if he was up at a quarter to in t]je morning ho would forestall everybody else for the luxury of a , hot bath. In consequence, at 5.45 there was j quite a pyjama parade. Those who were l lucky had a bath, and the others went out on the balcony and waited for breakfast. So far as it is known, ho one took meals from the mantelpiece, but it is suspected that it was only pride that kept some officers sitting down. The detailing of advance guards; the calculating of time and space; the estimating of forces holding a defensive position; an attack problem ; and, lastly, a defence problem were all worked out on paper, and - then on the ground. One thing must be said : better maps are necessary before good work can be done. The maps procurable in the district have the smaller creeks sketched in. Some of the roads shown are straight, whereas on the ground they have decided bends. Now, .it stands to reason that if these inaccurate maps are enlarged these little mistakes arc emphasised, and so a person reading the map is frequently misled. However, it will be many years before we get an ordnance survey of the district, but in the meantime one reserves the right to growl. One outstanding feature of the tour was the hospitality of the people. On Saturday Captain Grigor a,n,d Mrs Grigor, assisted by the young ladies of the district, entertained , the officers at supper. On Monday the gale was at its worst. At lunch time the sandwiches were very good, hut very dry, and water bottles were in much demand. Judge of the pleasure, then, when Mr Johnston arrived on the scene I and invited the commando to afternoon ' tea. And what a tea it was! The tables were weighted with tasty sandwiches and home-made biscuits, but the last word in appetising delicacies was the sponge cake with the cream in it. At the request ox Colonel Bauchop, Major Watson returned very hearty thanks for the great kindness shown. Mr Johnston spoke briefly and to the point, declaring that if he and his good wife and family had received more notice they would have done better. The memory of the tea at Johnston Farm and the kindnesses received at the hands of the good people at Balclutha will not soon be forgotten. Also, we will not soon forget the wind.