TERRITORIAL CAMP

Star (Christchurch), Volume XLIV, Issue 714, 18 March 1933, Page 29 (Supplement)

TERRITORIAL CAMP

Activities of the Canterbury Regiment. The Canterbury Regimental camp at Kaituna was inspected yesterday by the General Officer Commanding, New Zealand Forces (Major-General W. L. H. Sinclair-Burgess) and the Brigadier Commanding Southern Command (Lieutenant-Colonel S. C. P. Nichol). After battalion parade in the morning, the battalion marched to a level area on the south side of the railway line where Squadron-Leader Findlay landed in a ’plane and delivered a lecture on co-operation of aircraft with land forces and methods of communication between the two, the types of machines and how to recognise them in the air. Another 'plane then came over from Sockburn and a height flying demonstration was carried out by the two machines. At 500 ft a red light was thrown out of the ’plane, followed in three minutes by another. At 1000 ft a white light was thrown out every three minutes. Further demonstrations were given at 3000 ft and 4000 ft. The ’planes attacked the troops as though with a forward machine gun and demonstrated the various ways of breaking away from small arms fire from the ground. The pilots demon* strated the means of picking up messages from the ground by the use of grapnels. While the 'planes were in the air, an anti-aircraft squad demonstrated means of defence from the ground. On the return to camp a march past took place, when Major-General W. L. 11. Sinclair-Burgess took the salute. In the afternoon work was carried on by company arrangements. A battalion parade took place at 3.30 p.m. in the presence of the General Officer Commanding. The regiment marched past in review order headed by the regimental band and then re-marched past in close column. The General Officer Commanding then addressed the regiment. He said that he did not wish to flatter the men, but the standard of the work all round was of a very high order. He stressed the importance of rifle companies in the battalion. He also congratulated the regiment on having, in conjunction with the Otago regiment, the strongest units in the Dominion. The keenness and smartness of the men were, in his opinion, of a very high standard. On Wednesday all units, with the exception of headquarters wing, went through field firing work, and in the evening a cross-country run was organised, most points being gained by D Company. After dinner a lecture for officers and n.c.o.’s was given by Captain Owen Baker and then the entire camp assembled at the Y.M.C.A. where a concert party, consisting of Messrs Dan M’Kivett, Sharp, J. Tennent, A. E. Romeril, J. Laurenson, J. Craik and M. Adam, provided entertainment for the men and visitors from the district.