DEFENCE NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 17879, 22 June 1926, Page 12

DEFENCE NOTES.

(BY “ GUNNER.”) June 23—1757, PJassev. Lieutenant M. F.*Moore, of 10th Field Battery, N.Z.A., is transferred to the reserve of officers. Messrs W. W. Brassington and I. H. wkjpworth are appointed second lieutenants (on probation) in the Ist (Cadet) Battalion of the Canterburv Regiment Messrs A. G. Gillies and ■ J' -B- Murray are similarlj' appointed to the 3rd (Cadet) Battalion. Second-Lieutenant L- R. Galbraith, of the Ist Battalion, Canterbury Regirnent. is transferred to the reserve of officers. Second-Lieutenant J.* # M. Tait. Ist (Cadet.) Battalion, Canterbury Regiment, is transferred to the Auckland Regiment (Countess of Ranfur-ly’s Own). The Rev W. R. Hutchison is transferred from the reserve of officers RD K j o a PP° inted chaplain, third-class, _ Lieutenant-Colonel X. W B B DS.O., M.C., N.Z.S.C., chief start officer of the Southern Command, who has been m hospital, is now practacally fit again. He was seriously wounded during the war and the medical fraternity have made manv atTe m u ?, It re ™ ovc f rom his hip a piece ot shell that has worried him for about nine years. The operation he underT"™* recently was apparently entirely successful, and the offending splinter has been removed. His many friends are very pleased and congratulate him on his recovery. Colonel Thoms started his military career in the Oueen's Westminster Rifles. On the outbreak Of the South African War he joined x-ne Imperial \ eomanrv, spending two yeara on active service. Being attracted by colonial life he came to New Zealand and settled in Dunedin, where he joined the Volunteer Cycle t-orps. W hen the compulsory svstem was introduced in 1911 Colonel Thoms joined the New Zealand Staff Corps, rw sa,erl wit , h the N.Z.E.F. as D.A.A.G., and filled many important start positions in the Division. He was twice- wounded, the second time very seriously. When he was coni valescing in England the war seemed to bm so interesting that he “ deserted and joined the Division in France During the war he was awarded the JJ.b.O. and M.C., and was three times in despatches. Afterwards he filled several important positions on G.H.Q. in Wellington, and for some three years before his appointment to Christchurch was staff officer in charge of No. 9 Regimental District, Nelson. A: recent Army order abolishes the rank of driver in the regiment of artillery. From the time of the battle of Crecy, 1346, when there is. the first record of the use by English troops of artillery, until 1801, the equipment of the artillery had to rely on men or units outside its own control for its means of transport. In the early days of the regiment the drivers were civilians obtained on the contract system, and were in fact mere yokels. An ! old record tells of guns drawn by three horses in single file, driven by contract i drivers on foot, dressed in white j smocks with blue collars and cuffs, and armed with long farmers’ whips. The chief trouble was, their dislike for war and the "Garetteo? Ma>> 11, 1745, says: —“The. cannon lost at Fontenoy were left behind for want of horses, the contractor with the artillery having run off with them.” In 1794 a body of drivers was raised, but as an auxiliary corps under its own officers. This Drivers’ Corps was described as “ a fifth wheel to the coach, with all the ■urmecessarj’ friction, delay, and vexation it entails,” On September 17, 1801, the corps was renamed the Corps of Gunners and Drivers, and from that date the Royal Regiment of Artillery became a self-contained unit with all its essential services under the one command. The artillery driver is a man of many parts. It is impossible to do him justice in an article of this length. In spite of cold and wet, of mud and fatigue, of the frequent shelling and bombing of back areas, and of hazardous expeditions in the supply of ammunition, the driver’s spirits seldom flagged, and the regiment fully recognises the part he played in upholding its best traditions. The disappearance of the driver is a forerunner of the mechanical!sation of the army, but where horse-drawn vehicles remain the driver will doubtless continue to function under another name, but officially the Army takes leave of him. It will do so with regret, and with gratitude to a body of men who in a long and honourable history have delivered their comrades of all arms out of many a tight place.

Examinations for first appointment to Commissions are again drawing near, and about twenty-four candidates will be sitting in Christchurch. Classes will be held, starting in July and carrying on until the examination in September. THE IMPERIAL CHALLENGE SHIELDEvery boy tinder the age of nineteen within the Empire is eligible to shoot in the Imperial Challenge Shields competition which gives a most interesting comparison of the state of efficiency of miniature rifle shooting in the Empire. In each of the great Dominions any organisation such as a company of cadets, a troop of Boy Scouts or a boysclub can enter and send the results of its shooting to the secretary of the N.R.A. The King's Trophy is awarded for a match between the full strength of the youth of Great Britain and all the great. Dominions. For the purpose of the other competitions the teams are divided into seniors, under nineteen, and juniors, under fifteen. Points are given on the percentage of the strength of the unit that fires, so that mere pot-hunting by specially selected teams is eliminated. In each class two major trophies are offered, an Imperial Challenge Shield and, for competition amongst senior boys, Admiral of the Fleet Earl Jellicoe has made a personal gift, of his sword, and for the juniors Field Marshal Earl Haig has made a similar presentation. In addition to these there are medals of honour, for the best scoring teams, and for certain individual shots, and a number of cash prizes. Last but by no menas least, there are challenge trophies for Great Britain and each of the Dominions, that in New Zealand being presented by Lord Jellicoe. when he was Governor Genera 1. This year New Zealand has not figured very prominently on the prize list, though No 89 Coy. Senior Cadets (New Plymouth Technical College) was only beaten for the Senior Challenge Shield by the Roval Australian Naval Reserve, Hobart, by less than one point The points are worked out., to an average for each firer. Th<= Australians’ average was 90 42, New Plymouth 89.539. and the next team. "Tilton College cadets. Natal. 82.79. Lord Jellicoe'? sword went to Canada. In the junior class the shield went to India, ond Lord Haig's sword to a school in England. It is interesting to note that he junior winning team scored an average of 94.2. Amongst the best fifty units in the Empire New Zealand holds second place with the

New Plymouth cadets; twentieth. St Andrew's College,. Christchurch; 32nd 8.H.5.. Christchurch: 43rd Whangerei cadets; 45th Dargavillc cadets The New Plymouth team receives bronze medals from the X R A. and the Jellicce Trophy In addition bronze medals are presented to the highest scorers who obtain 97 or over. Four come to New Zealand. The total number of boys who competed throughout the Empire was 22,730. This is considered a very satis factory increase, being nearly 6000 more than fired last year. The number is made up as follows:--Great Britain 5.500, Canada, 2020. Uistralia, 317? New Zealand. 5054, South Africa, (>27<L and the remainder of the Empire 112.