Volunteer and Service Notes

Southland Times, Issue 12124, 2 May 1908, Page 1 (Supplement)

Volunteer and Service Notes

(l!y ■’ Vernier." I The following is Du: text of a special i istrict Order by Liuut.-Col. V. -S. Smyth, commanding the Otago district : " The olliccr commanding the district visites to express his appreciation of ■he good muster at the Easter munoeu- . res, of the good work done by both allicers and men, and the excellent behaviour of the latter. He especially no led v;ilh the greatest pleasure that soldier-like spirit with which tin; oflin.TS ami men met any privation or liarddiips, whether unavoidable or avoidable. and trusts Unit the lessons learnt by tin- mistakes that were responsible for tlic latter will not be forgotten, -so dial in future operations may be more interesting to the men and less arduous | for them.” I Tire following telegram has been roI eeived from the Honourable the MinisI ter for Defence ; 1 " t desire to express my gratification j at the splendid muster at the Easter I encampment and for the patriotic and I admirable spirit shown by those of all

ranks who were taking part In the military manoeuvres as Minister of Defenco. 1 learn witK pleasure of the hearty manner in which every volunteer lias entered into the work of the past days, and to ollioers and men Of all ranks I would ask you to convoy my appreciation of the tjood services they have rendered in the cause of defence. (Signed) J. «. WARD,"

By District Order No. 331, O.C. the district, Captain .1. S. Douglas, A Company of the first Battalion 0.R.V., and (.funner Kydd, N./.G.A.V., are entitled to loiik and eflicient service medals per regulations.

•So far as the present manoeuvres are concerned, the services of some noted local oPicers hate been enlisted in the cause of this column. As the outcome, next week I promise the first article on these operations. and, knowing the writer, can commend (he contribution. As far as possible, the matter will lie instructive, and therefore interesting to all ranks.

In regard t" the manoeuvres it is not likely that, knowing the results, mailers will he left as heretofore so far as the present organisation of ihe forces is concerned. The day of picnic manoeuvres are passed. Results are not now accepted with the hope that heller luck will prevail next lime. It does not do to acknowledge the fault and .-eel; no remedy. ConS"qnently, it will he taken for granted that further training ami a te\e changes in some departments of the forces will he insisted upon. As at present constituted the sen ice has no place for the incapable or unlit. As the years go by a higher degree of etlicicucy is becoming apparent, and it is not too much to say thaf tin* troops, for calibre and physique, operating in the recent manoeuvres were equal to anything in tile British Army, while the spirit shown was as indomitable and as nnllagging as the host recorded in the traditions of our Army. As previously noted, there tveie errors marie, and whether hy the re-sp-a live stalls or company oiiieers Ihe umpire alone Knows. That improvements wilt hj- insist'-d upon there can lie no doubt. The welfare of the service demands it and generally toe forces are worthy of too best work that falls to a soldier’s lot.

The Garrison Band's annual meeting was a happy event, a spirit of bolter times to come enlivening those present and interested in Hie welfare of Die band. The report was hopeful and (lie balance-sheet solid and financially sound. Members of Die band are mu as a rule slow lit forget the honest endeavours of their comrades, and .-o during Du* evening Bandsmen Stewart and Me Mu hie found themselves recipients of tokens of esteem, which wen* donated by their grateful associates. To -Bandsman Mew art was presented an elaborat>* dressing-cast!. He had obtained something like 50 honorary members for Du* band, and his work was not to go unrewarded. Landsman McKohie was insirumeiUal in conducting amt solidifyin tin* hand during a period when bandsmen say the band is down on its luck.” .Sullice it to sny Dial lie steered Die hand clear of till its many ditliculties during the trying season, and has sueceedded in handing to 1 1 is successor, Mr T. Lithgow, a promising body of musicians. A handsome set of pipes a ill s.Tvc to remind him of the battle ably fought and \v..n, 1 1 j,; worthy

‘•l note that of the four service bands m tin* district of Otago, tin* Invercargill Garrison was the nnly one present in

anything like lull force for the manoeuvres. bn Master Saturday the band gave gave a promenade concert in Waikouaili township, the evening proving a red letter day so far as the district was concerned.

• H the last parade of’ headquarter OMj-ns hold m Invercargill a bicycle, the tn-Mficrty of mu.' of tin* members of the MaUalion Ham), disappeared what: time file battalion was being exercised in iho I’rescriu. The machine was a valuable one, " Southland Special." and its number was i 11. In sonic parts ol Xew Zealand the privilege of allowing the public to witness the battalion assemble in the drill hall lias been withdrawn. This enforcement has not been enacted in Southland yet, but there are numerous reasons why it should he and the above-mentioned occurrence is one nI them. U by any chance (lie machine is being detained unknowingly, application to any member of the hand uill see it restored to its rightful owner. the navy. 1" band, the March number of toe Xavy League Journal, from which the f-'liowing extracts are culled the llellerophon class of ship will be fitted with two tripod masts of similar sixe. Whilst they are thus to be more heavily masted than their prototype, the Dreadnought, the St, Vincent, it is dialed, will have hut a single signal mast, thus being lo all practical purposes niastless ships. ihe jive new Tribal destroyers recently given oul to construct have been named Zulu. Crusader, Viking. Maori, and Nubian. The newbaUJeship building at Messrs \ inkers, Sons and Maxim’s has been named Vanguard, and not Uodnoy. as previously anticipated. The armoured ships of the line will in future he named alter vessels that participated in 111 e great Nelsonian naval lights.

Tim German Dreadnought, the Ersatz Bayern, the launch of which teas noted, in last month's cables, is a vessel of 17,000 tons displacement, or virtually ’be same as the Dreadnought. The cost of (his boat will he £1,113,000 for hull and fillings, £1175,000 for guns and anmmr, and fSO.Ooij for torpedoes, uliieh a.rc lo la- of (lie 10inch pattern—or £ 1.535.00U in all. She is expected to do 30 knots, against the Dreadnought's trial, 31.3. Her armament will consist of 10 Him guns, 50 calibres In length, representing Krupp's latest achievement in ordnance. They will each be 40 tons weight. 15ft Gin in length, firing a shell of TliSib. with a muzzle velocity of 2808 feet per second. The Ersatz Sachsen, building at the Weser wharf, iu Bremen, will be

launched m an early date. She will carry a .similar armament, and will be tilted with reciprocating engines. Both vessels will carry a complement of SS7 officers and men each, or BID more titan the crow of the largest battleship in the present German Navy. At present England is slightly ahead of the next two Bowers in actually completed ships, and it is still further ahead in effective completed ships when obsolescent vessels are deducted. In Dreadnought building it is only seven to the Gorman seven and American six. The margin of superiority in this class, tlie most powerful and important, is therefore vanishing.