MILITARY CAMP ON THE RACECOURSE

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 191, 15 August 1940, Page 7

MILITARY CAMP ON THE RACECOURSE

OFFICERS AND N.C.O.’S ARRIVE TO-DAY COMMANDING OFFICER A COLLEGIATE OLD BOY. Officers and n.c.o’s of the Queen Alexandra Mounted Rides, the Wellington East Coast Mounted Rifles, ana the Manawatu Motorised Rifles will remain under canvas until August 31. The first contingent will arrive from New Plymouth and intermediate stations by the 12.30 New Ply-mouth-Wellington express to-day. The remainder will arrive by the Wellington-New Plymouth express this afternoon. The total personnei will be approximately 250 In preparation for the n.c.o.'s more than 100 army bell tents with wooden floors have been pitched in the saddling paddock. Three marquees have been pitched for messing purposes. The officers’ tents are pitched in the bird cage. The officer commanding the camp, Colonel H. B. Maunsell, arrived yesterday. He is an old boy of the Wanganui Collegiate School. He began his career as a cadet on the “Glendonald" station in the Wairarapa. When the Great War broke out he enlisted with the New Zealand forces, and joined the main body of the Wellington Mounted Rifles with the rank of lieutenant. He served on Gallipoli where he was serlousiy wounded, and was invalided to Malta and later to England. He returned to New Zealand in 1916 and after living in Masterton for some time purchased portion of a station later adding to his properties.

Colonel Maunsell has always been keenly interested in military matters and Territorial training, and in October, 1931, was appointed Lieuten-ant-Colonel in command of the Wellington East Coast Mounted Rifles. In 1934 he was awarded the Efficiency Decoration and in 1935 received the King’s Jubilee Medal. Colonel Maunsell is keenly interested in Farmers’ Union activities and gave an address at the recent Farmers’ Union conference held in Wanganui. Instructional Staff. The camp instructional staff is: Adjutant and chief instructor, Captain R. H. Perrett, N.Z.S.C.; instructors, Lieutenant A. J. Young, N.Z.S.C., adjutant of the Wellington East Coast Mounted Rifles; Lieutenant A. Holmes, N.Z.P.S., adjutant of the Queen Alexandra Mounted Rifles; Lieutenant J. Ryan, N.Z.P.S., adjutant of the Manawatu Mounted Rifles; warrant officer, first-class, C. E. Rogers, N.Z.P.S., regimental sergeantmajor of the Wellington East Coast Mounted Rifles; warrant-officer, first class, L. R. Stitchbury, N.Z.P.S.; course quartermaster-sergeant, war-rant-officer, second-class G. Keeble, N.Z.T.S.; Sergeant J. Hutchison, N.Z.P.S.. regimental-sergt.-major of the Queen Alexandra Mounted Rifles; and Sergeant D. J. Abel, N.Z.T.S., regimental sergeant-major of the Manawatu Mounted Rifles. The sergeants, who are on loan from the Second* New Zealand Expeditionary Force, are Sergeants D. C. Latham, B.- Lopdell, H. F. Hamilton, J. D. W. Toomath, R. A. Howarth, W. Talbot, and W. L. Phelps. Staff-Sergeant F. J. Price is in charge of the orderly room, but will leave Wanganui on August 19. He is from Tauherenikau, and it is his job to start orderly rooms in the various instructional camps.