MILITARY AND NAVAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18063, 25 January 1927, Page 10

MILITARY AND NAVAL NOTES.

NEWS FROM BARRACKS AND PARADE GROUND. Personal. Captain S. D. Mason and Lieutenant W. A. Breach of the Canterbury Regiment have been awarded the New Zealand Service Medal. Messrs J. R. Page and IT. G. W ooller have been appointed Cadets in the N.Z. Permanent Forces and have proceeded to England to attend the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. 4th Cadet Battalion. The 4th Cadet Battalion resumed its parades this week after a break of five weeks. The officers and n.c.o.'s have just, completed their camp at Burnham and the new year should start off well. Most of the musketry course has been fired but a number of cadets have still to go to Redcliffs Rifle Range to complete their shooting with service rifles. The younger cadets who yet have to fire will continue on the miniattire ranges in the Barracks. All the halfday parades have not yet been held and some are being reserved for the Military Pageant and the visit of the Duke of York. Troops for China. The situation in China certainly seems to be developing. In spite of official protests of peaceful intentions the despatch to Shanghai of four battalions of infantry cannot be regarded as anything but a most ominous sign. The 20th Infantry Brigade, Colonel F. W. Ramsay, C. 8., C.M.G.. D. 5.0., has its headquarters and the 2nd Battalion of the Gloucestershire Regiment at Jhansi. The 2nd Battalion of the West Yorkshire Regiment is at Mhow, and there arc two battalions of native infantry completing the brigade. In the same command is the 24th (Field) Brigade, Royal Artillery, consisting of the 22nd and 50th 18-pdr batteries, 56th 4.5 howitzer battery at Jhansi and the 70th 18-pounder battery at Nasirabad. It is probable that this is the artillery referred to in the cable appearing yestreday. The battalion of Cameron Highlanders referred to as being warned for service in China, is probably the Ist battalion, which has just returned from the Rhine, the 2nd battalion is at Maymyo in Burma. The first battalion of the Middlesex Regiment is at Aidershot. The calling up of reservists probably refers only to these battalions and to the battalions that will take the place of the 20th Brigade in India. 111 England, normally, the regular army is by no means up to war establishment and the authorities would not send overseas any units that were not up to war strength, as all troops abroad are always on a war footing. Jhansi is in the Central Provinces on the Bomba y-Peshawar line. It is a big military station and has very large accommodation for troops. It is not at all one of the favourite garrisons as it is one of the hottest stations in India. Cadets Return from Camp. This morning some 200 cadet officers and n.c.o.’s returned from their week's camp at Burnham. On the arrival of the train at Christchurch, at about half past ten, the party, under the command of Captain J. G. Greenwood, M.C., marched through the city to King Edward Barracks. The brass band and bugle band of the 4th Cadet Battalion, which have also .been in camp, marched with the cadets who showed every sign of having put in some very useful work while in camp. On reaching the barracks the parade was dismissed and one and all set off almost with regret to transform themselves back into civilians again after a very pleasant week at Burnham. Commissions by Nomination. A new departure has been made by the War Office in offering a number of commissions in the R.A.M.C. bv nomination. Nominations have been allotted to all the prominent medical hospitals and the universities. A certain number of nominations have been retained by the War Office. This should be an additional means of recruitment by appointment direct from the medical training schools, in place of passing candidates through the ordinary channel of competitive examination. The nominations will be made by the responsible medical authorities at universities and London hospitals and the plan will be experimental and temporary until it is seen how this departure from customary practice fulfils expectations. The departure aims at attracting the best type of medical student in order to fill vacancies in the establishment of the R.A.M.C. In June “The Times” drew attention to the medical deficit due to the competitive. attractiveness of practice in civil life. The increased rates of pay which wore announced in the summer, and took effect from July 1 last, had a stimulating influence on students as providing a better Army prospect from the rank of captain onward to retirement. A legitimate grievance was thereby met, and now a curtailment of time by eliminating the military examination will enable a limited number of commissions to be taken up direct from medical schools -without loss of time. A medical officer holding a residential post for a year in a civil hospital who joins the R.A.M.C. now counts that year as commissioned service qualifying for emoluments and promotion. Turkey at Gallipoli. The Turkish General Staff History of the Gallipoli Campaign has recently been published, and seems to be a most reasonable and accurate description. Among the minor causes of the Allies’ failure are mentioned the omission to make extensive tise of submarines against the Turkish communication by sea; the lack of heavy artillery without which the infantry attacks had little hope of success; prudence and fear of casualties; lack of vigour in the operations, which became more and more obvious as time went on, owing no doubt to inadequate training and lack of experience among the newlyarrived troops; the increase of epidemic diseases. The report .says that the Turkish Higher Command, by its failure to reinforce the Dardanelles Army from the mass of ten divisions, idle around the capital, committed a grave error, for which the necessity for watching Russia and Bulgaria was no sufficient excuse. During the 324 days of the campaign the Turks employed their best troops in Gallipoli, and had their heaviest casualties. By the end of September, twenty-one divisions, 310,000 men, were lighting in this theatre. The. casualties suffered were, as far as can be at present estimated, killed, 55,127; wounded, 100.177; missing, 10.067; died of disease, 21.498; evacuated sick. 64.440: total, 251,309. The Allied losses were: British. 216,000; French, 115,000; total, 331,000.