THE THIRD ECHELON

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 189, 13 August 1940, Page 4

THE THIRD ECHELON

yilE conduct of the men of the Third Echelon while on leave was a model of proprietary. It is not intended to draw any comparisons between the conduct of those who have already gone overseas,- for their conduct, too, was excellent on leave, but the. war effort has now got under way and the men on leave know the nature of the enterprise upon which they will soon embark. This knowledge calls forth a serious state of mind, but leave is leave; it is a temporary release from military discipline, and the natural reaction while on leave is to indiscipline. That conduct of an indisciplined character has been conspicuous by its absence is to the credit of the men themselves, but there is a much more important significance to be attached to their conduct. It is evidence that the New Zealand Army has fashioned a discipline which fits the psychology of the New Zealanders. This is no small achievement, for the psychology of the men of the Silent Division was ever different from that of their more volatile cousins, the Australians, and very far removed from that of the British Army. This native psychology of New Zealand is doubtless due to the fact that the New Zealand Army is now officered, from General Sir John Duigan down, by New Zealanders, who know how their men think, and the former have been able to so fashion the necessary military discipline to fit the men rather than to press the men into an alien mould. The result has been the absence of irksomeness in camp, and consequently natural and gentlemanly conduct when the men are on leave. This naturalness will be of immense military value under active service conditions.