UNDER CANVAS

Waikato Independent, Volume XL, Issue 3764, 30 September 1940, Page 5

UNDER CANVAS

CAMP AT CAMBRIDGE ADVANCE PARTY PREPARES Working systematically and with enthusiasm, the advance party of troops at the Cambridge racecourse has, since Friday, made full preparations for the territorials of the Ist Battalion, 16th Waikato Regiment, which will commence a period of intensified training under the Government's home defence scheme tomorrow. Although the camp may be for only a month, expense has not been spared to provide the men with adequate facilities. The main work of the advance party has been the erection of tents and the receiving of stores. The tents are practically all new and of green canvas. They form a pleasing sight in their evenly spaced rows on the polo ground. Each of the 103 tents has a wooden floor. All Buildings Used The racecourse buildings, which have been lent by the Cambridge Trotting Club, are being used to full advantage. For some time carpenters, plumbers and drain-layers have been employed altering and adding to the buildings. At the conclusion of the camp, the course should be in better order as a result of some of the improvements made. The roomy totalisator house and the bar will be used as mess rooms for the men. The floor of the bar, where 100 men will mess, is not in a good state, and it is desirable that it be concreted. Hot showers may be installed at one end of the bar.

Twenty-five tables are being placed cross-wise in the totalisator house to seat 300 men. A door is being built in the side to facilitate the arrangement whereby the men go outside and clean their plates after each course. When the number of men increases, a marquee will be erected as a mess-room.

New Cookhouse

The main cook-house is an entirely new structure that has been erected between the bar and the totalisator. It has a concrete floor and will contain two large military cookers.

During the week-end, the, advance party messed under the. main stand, which has now become the officers' and sergeants' mess. Officers' quarters and orderly rooms are in the stand building. A meat safe and dairy, with concrete floor, has been erected among the trees.

The loose-boxes and stalls near Vogel Street have been built-in for use by the Supply and Transport. A stall has been transformed into the canteen, which will be run by a local businessman.

At the rear of the stalls, under cover, are. the ablution benches', which extend for 100 feet. A good dealing of plumbing has been necessary in laying on the water. There will. be separate basin's for each man. Two.large septic tanks have been constructed, , Mobilisation Tomorrow The men who will arrive tomorrbm,,. number about 350. With the exception of the Cambridge personnel, they will travel by special train, with Major W. R. Daysh as troop conducting officer. The train will leave Taumarunui at 7.10 a.m., arriving at Frankton Junction at 11.50 a.m. There the troops will have luncheon before the train leaves Frankton at 1.10 p.m., arriving at Cambridge at 1.48 p.m. Lieutenant-Colonel E. IM;. Mackersey, the Commanding Officer of the unit, will be camp commandant, and Captain F. B. McWhannell, M.C. will be adjutant. Major S. E. Senior, M.C, has been in charge of the advance party. Men From Cambridge , Cambridge territorials will parade at the Drill. Hall, Cambridge, at 8.30 a.m. tomorrow, under Captain F. Kingsford, before being transported to the racecourse by motor trucks. They are: Sergeant D. F. Pearce; Corporals M. G. Calvert, J. P. Hanna, P. N. Harwood, J. J. Maddock; acting-Lance-Corporal J. H. D. Baker; privates R. J. Brunskill, F. L. Buttimore, M. Cubis;: D. E. Foster, W. Hague, R;; An Hair, J. Hyde, T. B. Miirray, R. A: Pearce, P. J. Plescher, R. J. Scarlett, I. M. M. Sharp, M. J.'Stewart, C. A. Todd, H. W. Wilson, J. R. Chard; R. S. Conder.

The Cambridge members of the advance guard are: Regimental Quartermaster-Sergeant A. G. Stubbing, Sergeant D. Wilson, Corporal V. H. Skivington, Lance-Corporal R. McNeill, Privates A. Carter, A. Cubis, L. Buttimore, R. Petersen, I. Fleming, L. Oaten, F. L. Buttimore and G. R. Hoskin.