The Trentham Camp

Te Aroha News, Volume XXXIII, Issue 15630, 4 June 1915, Page 4

The Trentham Camp

HUTMENTS FOR THE MEN The erection of the hutments at Trentham is a big undertaking, as shown by the fact that there are now 100 carpenters at work on them. About 20 of these hutments will be ready for occupation in a week or so, and more will bebuiltp A new cook-house is in course of erection, also new bath shelters,and the new base hospital, and 1 extensive drainage works are being carried out. It will not be possible to have all the hutments finished for use for some weeks, and it seems probable that many of the me.i wil ! have to live under canvas tlnough the winter. The tents are ail to be fl ored, however, and irany men have expressed a desiie to be allowed to keep their tents and the same | tent mater, in preference to joining a bigger party in one of the wood and iron shelters. The most remai kable feature of the camp is the entire absence of nil disorder. It is not a model vLlage, of course, bi t such as it is the soldiers male the best oi it. A very welcome improvement announced by the Minister for Defence on Saturday is the lighting of the whole camp by electricity. This will add greatly to the comfort of the troops, for inadequate lighting has been one of the greatest discomforts at the camp. The soldiers themselves are, however, more interesting than all the new buildings and everything else m the place, and they are i nteresting because they do their work with such who.esome zest and precision, and because they keep their good humour, good health, and good spirits all the time. The ordering of their day is something like this: Reveille at 6 a.m.; physical drill for three-quarters of an hour before breakfast, then more drill, lunch, and more drill until, say 4.30.