ARMY RECRUITS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 115, 19 May 1942, Page 3

ARMY RECRUITS

REMEDIAL TRAINING CAMP AT TOURIST RESORT. Wellington, May 18. “A remedial training camp, at present the only one in the Dominion, was established a few months ago at a famous North island tourist resort, and judging by reports made to me by the Director-General of Medical Services, the scheme has already strikingly proved its value as a means of greatly improving the physical standard of ‘green’ troops,” said the Minister of Defence, the Hon. F. Jones. “The new camp, which is the out>me of a recommendation by a senior edical officer, provides a training sylbus specially designed for recruits ho, tnrough some minor disability, ave been placed in grade II,” said I .r. Jones. “On the basis of results I town so far it can safely be prolesied that many of the several hun-' red troops comprising the draft now ndergoing remedial training will, pon completion of the two months dlabus, leave the camp no longer iffering from the minor disability lat sent them there, and ready for in grade I as lit for .ity in any part, of the world. “The principal features of the imp routine are the devotion of conderably more time to physical trainig than is the case in other camps, nd the inclusion of many special excises aimed at curing foot troubles, ainful backs, and other minor defects, egular periods at the baths are all in le day's work, and sergeant instructs, who also hold life-saving certifiites, see to it that the recruits are! 11 able to swim before their time at, le remedial camp is up. “Already several drafts have passed! Trough the camp, and the percentage 1 L for regrading into Grade I has| eadily risen. About one in three ofi le latest draft dealt, with left the' imp ready for the higher classilicaon, and the remainder showed a cor-! xsponding improvement, in physique, his result is good and well 'worth! hile, because it must be borne in* ind that a large number of recruits i re placed in Grade 11, because of de-

fective vision and other permaneni minor disabilities that no amount o remedial training could remove.” In addition to the special remedia training, elementary infantry trainin; is given. Mr. Jones said 'that the scheme had also shown other interesting possibilities; it enabled medica officers to gauge each individual's fitness for the job he should be employee in in the Army. “This side of the work cannot yet be fully developed.' added Mr. Jones, “because of Ihe fadof medical officers. At present the Commandant, Lieutenant-Colonel J H. H. Wood. N.Z.M.C.. is the only medical officer on the staff.”