THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Otago Witness, Issue 3149, 22 July 1914, Page 6

THE DEFENCE FORCES.

Bl SSXTBT. The mounted men of Otago may look forward to something quite out ot tne usua in connection with then- next annual training camp. It is the intention ot Majorgeneral Godiey that the training ox mounted men ■ of Otago and Cantei uiy shall take the form ot brigade operation against each other over country m the vicinity of the Waffaki. He wil himself direct the operations .which should be one if the most interesting and most effective tests yet made of the war value ot e Zealand , mounted troops. Arrangements are at present to some extent m the an, but it is suggested that the month be March. Instead of having a base camp to rt+urn to each evening, the troops will pio bably spend their 12 days over a wide stretch of country, pitching camp at d t ferent places. A small number of infantry, and presumably other arms, will be use at these operations. Woll - _ , According to instructions from vv clhngoon, the system of training country Lemtorials at concentration camps will not bo made compulsory during the present ycai. At the same time. Territorials in the country districts are to be encouraged to put mtheir training in this way wherever arrangements can be made locally for such camps. When camps of the kind are held the department will provide forage and rations and the cost, of transport to and from tne centres. The training of country cadets at concentration camps will not be undertaken during this military year, and training in the ordinary way is to be resumed at once. A member of a Defence Rifle Club is entitled to 150 rounds of ammunition free per annum. It has been decided-, however, that no free ammunition will bej issued to any club members who fail to carry out the prescribed musketry course. 4 -class of instruction for candidates, Unattached List (B), for examination A—second lieutenants to lieutenants will be held a the Garrison Hal 1 on Mondays, W eunesdays, and Fridays, commencing on July AJ, at 7.30 p.m. , An enthusiast in the promotion of Title shooting, Captain Doull has boon offered the oopimand of the team to represent Isew Zealand in the United Service Match at Melbourne next October. . ~ Of the 35 non-commissioned officers ot che Territorials and of the Senior Cadets, in Otago district who entered for the examination for first appointments to commissions only 21 faced the examiners. The written part of the examination took place in the band room at the Garrison Hall, and occupied two days. The oral work was taken on the third day partly in the Garrison Hall and partly on the hills beyond Caversham. Sergeant J. Beaumont, from the 4th Battalion King’s Royal Rifle Corps (6ih Rifles), lately stationed in India, has been appointed a sergeant instructor (on probation), and has been posted as assistant area sergeant-major, area 47. Second Lieutenants G. E. Waite and C. R. Sargood, of the Engineer Cadets, have been promoted to the rank of lieutenant. Otago boys who qualify for inclusion in the team of 12 to represent New Zealand in the rifle match for the Lord Roberts trophy may have a trip to Auckland, as it has not yet been decided; whether the "match will bo fired at Trcntham or at Auckland. The team will be assembled at one of these centres about August 25, and will have three days of special training together before firing. The team will bo selected early in August by the Director of Military Training from the list of candidates recommended by the various districts. To this end the scores of the lads competing for the honour will be sent to Wellington. The following territorial officers will present themselves for the promotion examination, to be held at the various centres in August 18 and following days:—At Dunedin—Lieutenants A. J. S. Cowio and R. F. Mitchell (sth Mounted Rifles), J. L. Herbert (12th Otago Mounted Rifles), R. Jones (Coast Defence Detachment), R. Patterson (Otago Divisional Ammunition Column), Majors J. S. Douglas, W. E. M‘Lean, -O. H. Moller, Lieutenant T. H. Nisbet (4th Otago Regiment), Captain "VV. D. Jolly and- Lieutenant P. Mackenzie (10th North Otago Regiment). At Invercargill—Majors G. Mitchell and W. Crowthcr, Captains E. A. Nicoll and J. A. Cushen, Lieutenant A. J. Lister (Bth Southland Regiment), Captain L. Lennio (C Battery), Lieutenant E. S. Perry (7th Southland Mounted Rifles). At GoreLieutenant J. T. Reid (7th Southland Mounted Rifles), Captains D. Colquhoun (14th South Otago Regiment), and J. E. Strachan (Unattached List 81. At Oamaru —Captains J. Swindlcy and J. Jenkins (sth Mounted Rifles). Cadets are required to put in, per ecr.um, evening drills totalling 50 hours, oif-d day parades totalling six half-clays. A weekly drill of an hour’s duration would not complete the 50 hours, because there is a fouryveek spell at Christmas time. A weekly ' fill of one hour and a-half’s duration

would absorb the 50 "hours in 34 weeks, leaving the cadets a spell of four months in which to go “stale.” It has been suggested by the officer in charge of Area Group XIII that the drills should bo carried out as follows May to July, and February to April, one-hour drills weekly; August "to January, one hour and a-half drills weekly. Allowing for four weeks’ idleness at Christmas time, and a suspension of one drill each in Winter and Summer Show and Easter weeks, the 50 hours could bo comfortably worked out as above. The recent examination of candidates "for entry'to the Staff College lasted from Juno 30 to July 8, the candidates taking daily two papers, for the answering of each of which they were allowed three hours. The time allowed was not sufficient to enable the candidate to do justice to the questions. In company with the King, the Queen, and Princess Mary, Mr Asquith, in the capacity of Secretary of State for War, witnessed a sham fight at Aldershot in May. Mr Asquith enjoyed his outing thoroughly, regardless of the broiling sun. In a morning suit and bowler hat (a combination to make his tailor hold up his hands in horror), he was in the thick of the fighting, asking questions, and learning some -of those things that a War Minister is supposed to know. Coming upon a firing line, he picked up a range-guide from a -non-commissioned officer, and listened while General Robb explained ffs utility. He was even detected in the -innocent amusement o' firing off blank cartride at the enemy while the owner of the rifle lay near by grinning broadly. Photographers found the white-haired Prime Minister finding the range for a field gun, and being instructed in the working of a Maxim in a trench, but there was one moment when ho really did find himself in a hot corner, and had to throw dignity to the winds. In his eagerness for military knowledge he had failed to notice that a critical moment of the fight was at band, and was caught in a wild rush of Scots Guards, urged on by the skirl of their pipers. Wherever be locked he saw levelled bayonets pointing at him. and he sprinted hither and thither with surprising agility, until a non-commissioned officer bawled, “Stand still, and you’ll be all right.” Mr Asquith did stand still, and the files passed to right and left, and left him breathless in the rear of the charge. ✓ Meanwhile t!ie King had also been on foot following the fight.