MILITARY CAMP

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 85, Issue 190, 14 August 1941, Page 4

MILITARY CAMP

TERRITORIALS TO LEAVE RACECOURSE TO-DAY SURVEY OF REQUIREMENTS MADE YESTERDAY REPAIRS TO BE MADE. At noon to-day Territorials from the military camp at the Wanganui Racecourse will leave by the Wellington express for Marton, cn route Io Waiouru. where they will complete their training, the Racecourse Camp being closed down for an indefinite period. Liedt.-Colonel J. L. McAlister, M.C., camp commandant, will have charge of one of the training units at Waiouru, and he will have associated with him practically the entire staff which has been under his command at Wanganui. Lieut.-Col-onel McAlister came to Wanganui early last spring with the Wellington company of the New Zealand Scottish Regiment, and since the beginning of January he has been in cnarge of the Racecourse Camp. ' Though the camp is being evacuated as far as the training units are concerned, a rear party will remain to perform the many necessary clean-ing-up operations, and the camp will be kept in readi'ness for immediate occupation should it be required. In charge at the racecourse will be Captain R. P. U. Parnell, campquartermaster. The semi-permanent buildings erected at the racecourse during the past 12 months will not be dismantled, but the tents will be struck, and the marquees will be taken down. Before being stored away the tents and marquees will be thoroughly dried out to prevent the canvas from being damaged in storage. Taps in the showers and ablution stands will probably be removed and stored for safety, the pipes being plugged. Thus they will be in readiness should the authorities decide to station further training units or the Home Guard at the camp. In all there are about 150 tents and eight marquees at the camp. Yesterday a survey of the camp and the Spriggens Park appointments was made by Captain A. H. Jones, Central Military District works officer; Lieut. C. E. Rogers. Central Military District weapon-training officer and Major S. H. Gould, area officer. Wanganui Military District. They were accompanied by Captain Parnell, camp quartermaster, and Mr. S. R. McCallum. secretary of the Wanganui Jockey Club. The purpose of the survey was to ascertain the work required to restore the property and buildings to the state in which it was taken over by the military authorities twelve months ago. Damage to windows and fences is to be attended to and the necessary repairs and renewals to buildings will also be undertaken after the report of the survey party has been considered by the authorities.

Before leaving for Hawera in tlu' afternoon, Capt. Jones and Lieut. Rogers were accompanied by Major Gould on an inspection of the Wanganui Airport and neighbouring grounds. They will return to Wanganui to-day.