THE HAUTAPU CAMP

Waikato Independent, Volume XVIII, Issue 1440, 30 April 1914, Page 5

THE HAUTAPU CAMP

The little railway station at Hantapu, three miles from Cambridge, is haying the busiest time it has ever seen just now, for the biggest military camp yet held in the Auckland province, is in course of rapid construction in two adjoining paddocks of a joint area of about 140 acres. Some idea of the magnitude of the necessary preparations may be gained when it is stated that the camp is practically a temporary town of over 5000 inhabitants, with fully 1300 horses, for whom must be provided housing 1 , food, sanitation hospitals, amusements, as well as ample arrangemets for the carrying out of the special object of the gathering, namely, military training. The frontage of the camp extends to nearly three-quarters of a mile j on the right, in the place of honor is found the District Headquarter j , which has been temporarily removed bodily from Auckland to Hautapu. Here Colonel Logan, commanding the district, and his personal and general staff will be found. Next in order of precedence will be found the Auckland Mounted Rifles Brigade, with a frontage of 450 yards, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Chapman. Next comes the .Field Artillery Brigade under Major Sherson, with their, two batteries of the very latest pattern 18-pou n der field guns. Next to the Artillery.is placed the Engineer Company with their apparatus for bridging, electric line laying, demolition etc., and then on the extreme left of the camp, is placed the Infantry Brigade, under Col. C. T. Major, consisting of four battalions and the Coast Defence Detachment (attached for training). Scattered about among the larger units, as required, are the No. 1 and No; 5 Field Ambulances, the Mounted Signal. Troop, and the Diviisonal Signal Company. Then there are the Ordnance Stores, two ‘‘dry” can-’ teens, marquees inhabited by the Y.M.C.A., 'and.the C.E.M.S. and Salvation Army, saddlers’ shops, farriers’ forge, hospital marquees, veterinary hospital, regimental . hairdressing “saloons,” eight separate arid distinct cook-houses, each with its chief cook and several assistants', and last but of vital importance, eight incinerators with their ever-burning fires for the destruction of every description of rubbish which might mar tidiness or invite disease.

Water for men and horses has been laid on from an ever-flowing well at. the Hautapu Creamery close by, from which 60,000 gallons a day can be pumped to the camp tanks and troughs. ' i

The feeding ot the army is strictly by ration scale. 3 The men are served out, for instance, IJibs of bread, Ifclbs of meat, 4ozs butter, 4ozs jam, 11b so on daily;'bat the small figures given ahoye hardly suggest the magnitude of the task of the Quartermaster’s°department. This maylperhaps be better gauged by the statement tnat it has got to .provide and distribute about three tons ot bread, over half a (on of butter, nearly four tons of meat, 16 tons of horse feed, 350 gallons of milk, etc. The transport of sueh a number of m'en and horses to camp, has presented rather a formidable job for the Railway Department and- in more than one instance, military requirements have had to be subordinated to the simple fact that the railway could not provide engines and rolling stock to carry them out.

The training carried out in camp is progressive, beginning with work in small bodies and daily increasing j the working until, till Monday, May 4th, when training by Brigades is reached. On Wednesday, the 6th, the whole division will take part in field manoeuvres; on Thursday, the 7th, a ceremonial inspection by General Sir lan Hamilton will be held, and the following day he will watch the division at work in the field, this being the culminating point in the training. The next day, Saturday, May 9th, there will be a great exodus, brigades, regiments, squadrons, companies, troops and sections, breaking off and dispersing towards their homes, which some of them will not reach till Tues- 1 day of the following week. Of music there is plenty in camp,, as no less than four regiments, have bands, three of which will come into camp, among them that of the 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles, and that of the 3rd (Countess of Ranfurly’s Own) Infantry. These, with the entertainments provided by “camp fires” and similar amusements should provide ample diversion to wile away the short evening hours between tea time and tattoo at 9 p.m., when every good soldier will begin to prepare for bed. v_

INSPECTION BY LORD LIVERPOOL. On Sunday next His Excellency the Government will inspect the troops, being accompanied by his brother, Captain. the Hon- J.G.W.S Eoljambe, Adjutant of the Ist Battalion of the Oxfordshire and Bukinghamshire Light Infantry, stationed at Kirkee, India. The regiment is the old. idl’d and 52nd, Regiments

A Hive of Industry GOOD WORK BEING DONE FURTHER PARTICULARS

linked together, and to which the 6th Haurakis, whose guest he will be at luncheon, are affiliated. Capt. Foljambe will take advantage of his of his visit to convey from his regiment an address and presentation gift to the 6th Regiment, which will formed up immediately after the lunch for the ceremony. It will he remembered that the Colors of the 16th Waikato Regiment were '■ purchased by subscriptions in the district, and previous to the consecration they will be formally handed over to Col. Gumming, Officer Commanding Regimenf by Messrs .Bollard and ' Young, M’s.P. for Raglan and Waikato, respectively, who with the Mayors of Hamilton and Cambridge, will guests at luncheon with His Excellency. At the conclusion of the parade the Vice-Regal party will leave by special train for Auckland•NEXT THURSDAY’S REVIEW. SPECIAL TRAIN ARRANGEMENTS. Ihe military authorities have received information that a special train will run on Thursday next, in connection with the review of the troops by General Sir lan Hamilton- The train.will leave Auckland at,9.50 a-m----arriving af Hautapu 'at 2.15 p.m., and on the return journey if leaves Hautapu nif b p.m. A special Uain will also leave Frankton at 12.45 p.m., and stopping all all stations will arrive at 2.15 p.m., leaving again at 5.15 p.m- This train will connect at Rnakura with the Paerqa train and at, Frankton with the.Te Kuiti train.

It should be.noted tl'.at thesaarrangernents are not necessarily definite. but may be excepted as a guide.' I uller instructions will be advertised in due course by the Rail vay Depart* ment. NEW' ARRIV vLS. The 11th North Auckland Mounted Rifles arrived at the. Camp yesterday. Colonel Mackesy is in command with Captain G. , Walker, N.Z.5.0., as Adjutant, Major J. W. McOarroll and Lieut. A. P. Speedy, Q.M. The squadrons are: — . , • A squadron: Captain W. E. R. Mackesy, Lieuts. 0. R. B. Mackesy, 0, P. Johnson, A- C- W. Emlayson, with Lieut. C. E. Smedley in charge of the machine gun section. B Squadron: Captain J. B. Ariel! Lieuts. H. G. McCarrol, D. A. Einlayson, G Golbeck and P. Logan. C Squadron: Captain A. Wallace, Lieuts. H. Hoskings and J. Paton. D Squadron: Captain A. 0. Kingston, Lieuts- A. R. Neilson, W.' G. Davis and W. Patience. MUNICIPAL RECEPTION. GENERAL SIR lAN HAMILTON’S VISIT.

The Cambridge Borough Council and citizens of- Cambridge have arranged an official reception ol Sir lan Hamilton, Inspector-General of the Overseas Forces, oh Thursday next the 7th May. The General arrives by train at ‘2.15 p.m;, when he will be met by His Worship the Mayor, the Town Clerk and Councillors, and an address of welcome presented. In the evening at 8 o’clock a public reception will take .place at the Town Hall when the General will address the people; of the district. Hon. Dr. Pomare is also ex pected to address the meeting. The Hon. the the Minister for Delence„arld other members of the Cabinet are likely to be present at the meeting.

It may not be generally known that,General Sir lan Hamilton occupies one of the positions in connection vLa the British Army and his visit, to this district to review the Auckland Forces should be looked upon by the people of the Waikato as a verv high honor indeed. Sir lan is said to be a pleasant speaker, and he wishes to get into personal touch with the people of New Zealand,' especially with the of the Dominion, in oraer that he may not only gauge the popular feeling regarding military matters but that he may put the matter before the people from an imperial point of view.

There is little doubt that the people of the Waikato have a treat and an.honour before them that will appear seldom in a life time..

Admission to the Hall will be by ticket, the management having fixed

the admission at the nominal price of one shilling in order to popularise the movement and to have* the Hall well packed on this occasion.