MILITARY AND NAVAL NOTES.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 18469, 22 May 1928, Page 6

MILITARY AND NAVAL NOTES.

NEWS FROM BARRACKS AND PARADE GROUND. (By GUNNER.) Combined Training. There are not many infantrymen, nowadays, who know what a battery looks like or have seen a shell burst, and there are not many gunners who know very much about an infantry battalion, but there is one privileged battery and two privileged battalions in the Southern Command who will meet and work together during the next camping season. The units taking part are the 16th Light Battery, N.Z.A., the Ist Battalion of the Canterbury Regiment, the Ist Battalion of the Otago Regiment, No. 10 Company of the N.Z.A.S.C., and the Otago University medical company of the N.Z.M.C. The camp will be commanded by Colonel J. Hargest, D. 5.0., M. A.D.C., Commander of the 3rd N. Infantry Brigade. The site for the camp has been selected at a place a little south of Oamaru, with the wonderful name of Waiana karua (“the meeting of the waters”), where the low foothill country will provide an infinite variety of terrain for manoeuvre and should prove a most pleasant change to the Canterbury Regiment, who know nothing more of New Zealand than the flatness and the gorse and stones of Burnham. The Otago Regiment will also be pleased to have a change from Matarae, though they were always better off for a training ground than the Canterbury men. The artillery have always been a favoured arm on account of the necessity of finding somewhere where they can shoot, and the experience of working with the infantry will be the most valuable part of this innovation. This is the first combined camp to be held since 1914, and if it proves successful—and it will—it is to be hoped that further and more extensive experiments in the same line will be held. The date of the camp is from March 6 to March 11, both inclusive. The one fly in the ointment is that the scheme is only a proposition and has not yet received final approval. R.A.F.’s Tenth Birthday. The Royal Air Force celebrated its tenth birthday on April 1. Reconnaissance and observation were regarded as the chief functions of aircraft at the beginning of the line of battle across France, its direct opposition of two air fleets, rapidly imposing on aerial reconnaissance the character of an aerial combat. Thus the aeroplane became a fighting unit. Its decade has been one of remarkable progress. The fastest fighting aeroplanes in 1918 had a maximum speed of 150 miles an hour; that has been doubled. The old 240 h.p. DH9 bombing aeroplane has been superseded by the daylight bomber of 700 h.p. Aerodrome at Hamilton. If Hamilton can furnish a satisfactory landing-place, aeroplanes will be going there within nine months, according to a statement made by General R. Young, Commandant of the New Zealand Military Forces, at a gathering of returned soldiers last week. The Hcbsonville air station was being proceeded with at due speed, he said, and Cabinet would meet on Saturday to decide what aeroplanes would be ,sent there. He added that if there were any borough councillors present who would mark his words and would see that a proper landing-place was made available, Hamilton would see Air Force ’planes arriving there within the period mentioned. *.* Artillery Prize-giving. A successful year’s military training in Wellington was brought to a conclusion last Wednesday, when the sth, 15th, and 19th Batteries paraded at the Drill Hall, Buckle Street, for the annual presentation of trophies. In the unavoidable absence of the G.O.C. New Zealand Military Forces (MajorGeneral R. Young), the units were inspected, and the trophies presented by Lieut.-Coloned W. L. H. SinclairBurgess, C. 8., C.M.G., D. 5.0., N.Z.S.C , Chief of the General Staff. The parade was in. command of Lieut.-Colonel N. ■S. Falla, C.M.G., D. 5.0., A.D.C., commanding the Coast Artillery GrL-up (15th, 17th, and 19th Batteries). The Batteries stationed at Christchurch will hold their annual prizegiving to-morrow night, when the B; : gade Commander, Lieut.-Colonel ,R. C. Wickens, D. 5.0., will officiate. :: k Military Objectors. Amplifying its resolution dissociating the Presl -terian Church in Auckland from the attitude of those conscientious objectors who refuse to accept alternative non-military service, the Auckland Presbytery furnished the following statement to the “New Zealand Herald” on Tuesday: “Some misunderstanding has been caused by the statement in the ‘Herald’ that the speech of the Minister of Defence which the Presbytery welcomed as ending the present controversy was ‘an endorsement of the Auckland Magistrate’s re-' fusal to grant exemption.’ What the Presbytery resolution affirms is the declaration of the Hon F. J. Rolleston that: ‘I think you might try and meet us. We will try to meet you and we have done so. We recognise that Richards’s case is one differing from others, but we do say that he should be able to meet us half-way, as we have done, and agree to some alternative service.’ The Presbytery has not withdrawn from the claim that the conscience clause of the Defence Act applies equally to all religious denominations, otherwise there would be one law for the Quakers and one law for the Presbyterians.” Warships’ Movements. After the departure of H.M.S. Diomede Portsmouth to refit, which took place on Saturday, the remaining warships are expected to leave for visits to various Pacific Islands. H.M.S. Dunedin will carry out ten days’ Igunnery practice in the Hauraki Gulf from June 5 to June 15. She will probably sail early in July for an extended cruise in the Pacific, with probably a stay at Honolulu in August. She is to return to Auckland in September. The Veronica will leave on June 5, and is due at Suva on June 11. She will remain there a week and will subsequently visit the Gilbert Islands at the beginning of July, the itinerary depending upon the wishes of the Resident Commissioner. The sloop will again visit Suva on August 3, remaining for ten days, and will subsequently carry out exercises in conjunction with H.M.S. Dunedin. Various islands will be visited before making a further call at Suva on September 7. The Veronica will probably return to Auckland later in the month. The Laburnum will probably sail early next month, to spend several months in the Pacific.