TRAINING AT BURNHAM

Southland Times, Issue 24163, 27 June 1940, Page 6

TRAINING AT BURNHAM

Life In Camp Not Monotonous

A TYPICAL DAY'S

WORK

The daily routine of the men being trained as soldiers at Bumham military camp is far from monotonous. Though they get through a great deal of the necessary elementary training each day, their syllabus is so arranged that it excites all their interest and keenness, their appreciation of teamwork in war service, and their realization that each man must play his part in the chain holding together each fighting unit. The syllabus is naturally varied daily and according to the requirements of units, but the following could be quoted as typical for the Bumham soldier during his earlier days in camp:—

6.30 a.m. —Reveille. 6.4s—Sick parade. 7.15 — Breakfast. 8.15— Battalion parade. 8.35 to 9.ls—Bayonet training, possibly an assault course. Break for 1.0 minutes. 9.25 to 10.5—Lecture by platoon commander.

10.5 to 10.20 —Break 10.20 to 11—Rifle training. 10 minutes’ break for smoko. 11.10 a.m. to 11.50 a.m.—Drill. 12.15 p.m.—Lunch. 1.15 to I.ss—Lewis gun training. 2 p.m. to 2.40 —Musketry. Break for 10 minutes.

2.50 to 3.30 p.m— Grenade training or possibly fieldcraft for advanced units. Break for five minutes. 3.35 to 4.25 p.m.—Fire discipline training.

That bare detail needs some expansion. The lecture given daily in the morning, by the platoon commander is on a subject selected by the company commander, and might be on general demeanour of troops, on personal health, on badges of rank, target marking or some- such topic on which the soldier needs regular enlightenment. The musketry course includes not only actual firing practice, but more advanced training. The machine-gun training, for appropriate units, would be with Bren guns. The fieldcraft embraces tactics and exercises designed to make the trained soldier capable of dealing with types of open field warfare. SHOWERS DAILY The soldiers, having begun so early, ends his day’s training early. Every Wednesday afternoon, he makes an early start at recreational training, but whatever the syllabus holds for him, he is able to cease work and by a little after 4.30 is under warm showers. There are showers to every block in the extensive barracks at Burnham and an ample supply of hot water, under which, for the day, he shakes off the dust or mud (according to the season) and emerges fresh for relaxation. Most of the men change, after showers, from their training denims to the more comfortable battle dress, and all are now being encouraged to do this. They are thus changed for the big meal of the' day, their 5 o’clock meal, after which most of them are free until lights-out. This schedule is typical but not allembracing. There is a great deal- of other training going on all over the camp for special and more advanced units. A reporter of The Press, Christ - church, who was shown over Burnham, found that it would take easily a week to see all that was going on in the way of training these fine-looking young men as modern soldiers. The motor-car, running along • roads well away from the camp, passed companies of men, singing as they marched, on their way to manoeuvres and field exercises. Sectional exercises are particularly popular because they bring the men closer to the actual realities of war—they take great pride in their ability to pick out the “enemy” section advancing under cover towards them, just as the “enemy" has his moments of praise when he is able to get close to the watching scouts without being spotted. GRADUAL PROCESSES The route marching is so arranged that too much is not asked of the men in their earlier stages of training. They are gradually brought up to the point where they can undergo a march of three hours without undue fatigue or trouble. In the same way the rifle training is a gradual process of turning each man into as good a shot as it is possible to make him. Every effort is made to bring about a continual improvement in the shooting. After the sorting out at the preliminary group testing, the men are taken to the 25 yards range for additional instruction and all, ultimately, have regular training at the full range at Redcliffs. The reporter was permitted to watch big units of the Burnham men at respirator drill. All men at the camp are equipped with the respirators, which, incidentally, are all disinfected before wearing. The men enjoy this drill, possibly because of the chances it gives for a little fun at another’s expense. “How do you think they look?” a sergeant asked, as one unit donned their respirators. “A general improvement all round,” a private replied. The men must learn to drill, shoot, and exercise in their respirators. They treat them gingerly at first, but soon become accustomed to them, for after all, they seem comfortable enough to wear and certainly easy to see through.

“ROLL OUT THE BARREL” Along a dry road near the camp the 26th Battalion men were marching, steel helmets on, swinging along jauntily, and singing “Roll Out the Barrel.” But there was no barrel. They were on serious business. They crept through a fence and into an open paddock. The “enemy” was thought to be advancing behind the heavy cover of farm buildings and gorse hedges, with some trees. Shots were fired by scouts who saw isolated details creeping forward. There was a yell from 50 throats as, with bayonets fixed, the advance unit charged. It was a mock attack, but the men took it seriously and later sat round to discuss their tactical successes and mistakes.

This description of the work being done by the soldiers covers only a small part of what could be written. For the transport units there are specific training duties; the Divisional Cavalry units exercise with their Bren guns and carriers, training with guns mounted for field action or for antiaircraft work; big sections of R.A.M.C. men work daily with stretchers and ambulance equipment; while the daily routine of the work involved in the administration of such a big camp would itself make a fascinating story. But all these activities, diverse as they seem, dovetail intricately into one single plan which ensures the smooth running of the entire machine. How that smooth running is achieved so effectively is not easy for a' layman to understand; but that is the daily result of the work of many thousands of soldiers and civilians engaged at the camp.