Page 1 Advertisements Column 7

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 86, Issue 117, 21 May 1942, Page 1

WINTER TRAINING TOUGH FIGHTING UNIT | BIVOUACKING IN ALL WEATHER' The training of the main striking/ force of the Army is not being inter-; fered with by Winter conditions; in fact training is becoming more exacting. Troops are being Hardened by long route marches, nights in the open, and guerilla exercises. Officers in charge have been informed that the lorce must be made! into a tough lighting unit, able to go into action with the offensive spirit at, the end of an arduous march. Any! disposition toward set meal times ano' the choice of places for bivouacs lor comfort rather than for tactical rea-, sons must be overcome. A practical example of what this’ means was the experience of a bat-i talion which left its camp one morning l to take up positions that night for an exercise the following day. The rain became steadily heavier during the clay and by nightfall it had really set in. The troops reached their pre-! arranged place for bivouacking, a plantation, and settled down to make* the best they could of it. Some built. huts of branches and leaves that were practically waterproof, many found a few leaks in their temporary home, and a few contented themselves with cowering in “rats’ nests.’’ But the experts learnt a valuable lesson from an uncomfortable night, and next time the battalion sleeps in the open in the; rain it is expected that very few, il any of the men will be wet and cold. | Their experience evidently did them, no harm, because no cases of sickness 1 were reported to the medical officer! when the battalion returned to camp. I In retrospect they were quite pleased with what had happened because they were one up on other battlions. Guerilla training is being steadily expanded in spite of the extra discomforts of the weather. Units are being sent out for a week’s cross-country march, existing entirely on their own resources. All other troops in the area are their enemies and Home Guard units assist in harassing them. Route marches are being made longer, and are being extended over several days. The troops can manage 20 miles in a day now. and when the touchening process has boon completed they will be able to do more. At the same time, the men are not' being kept out all the time. Much use-| ful instruction can be given indoors, and attention can be given to equipment. For instance, some units are busy making camouflage nets, for which purpose the native flax has been found excellent. FORCES IX FIJI N.Z. MEN FIT AND HARD RUGBY PREPARATIONS Suva. April 27. After a period of particularly strenuous tasks in the construction ol defence works, carried out during the hottest months of the year, the Nev.Zealand forces in Fiji are now finding more time for sport, and these opportunities for relaxation are greatly appreciated. Recent arrivals from i Now Zealand have become hardened, and the force as a whole looks remarkably fit and tough. Hard work and a well-balanced diet, while it has reduced the overweights, has resulted i in many of the younger men putting on ! weight. It is a fit, Well-equipped force.’ ready for any job it might be called' upon' to face. The cricket season which has now. just concluded saw many prominent 1 New Zealand cricketers in action, tho . first. Army eleven being led by P.| Whitelaw. the Auckland and New Zea-| land representative. Football has now ' taken its place and Army teams aro! busy practising. M. Corner and: “Snow” Bowman, both former All 1 ' Blacks, are in Fiji, and it is hoped that { they will play. Corner is attached to one of the local battalions and hi> services as a coach will be eagerly sought by the native troops, who arc extremely attached to the game. Although dances in Suva are always popular with a large section of the men it has become more and more apparent that with the improved facilities in the camps the men do not visit town to the same extent as previously. I Wet canteens are provided in all camps and beer is much cheaper in the| camps than in the towns. The New. Zealand Club at Suva, conducted by I Suva women, is well patronised. VALUE OF PHOTOGRAPHS London. May 17. In appealing to the public to send Ihe Admiralty particulars of photographs of foreign places in their pos- j session, a member of the Naval Staff told how photographs taken during a ; holiday largely contributed to *hf success of the Bruncval raid. Wivm i every possible source of information about, the Bruneval area had been thoroughly combed for de'ails. they sti” needed an actual picture of whne the German radio location centre s situated. One of the staff officers working on the plan, who had spent a holiday in the Bruneval area iu«t before the war. possessed photographs ' showing minutelv the exact, snot involved. Five of these nhotngranhs nut together forged the last link of the whole plan. The Admiraltv wants nhotogran’: of every inch of coas'line and ever” road, bridge, and factory throughout the world. OVERSEAS TRADE. IMPORTS IP. EXPORTS DOWN. Exports from New Zealand du irp the 12 months ended March 31 exceeded imiinrt. l ’ by I than the ext ess rf • xport ' inp the previous 12 months. Im;>m-*s have I > increased and export? have decroax-t’. The overst I tot ■ ■ three 12-nionthly periods are shov.n in the : , following table: Excess of j Export-. Imports. K.xi-’J - '.-. | £ £ £ I 1942 .... 69,162.000 50..',K , .».(i00 1 5,573,000 1941 .... 71.150.000 47.918.000 23.262.00) 1940 .... 59,643,000 45,571.000 14.072.000 The exports during the three months | ended March 31 were :n excess o£ the imports i to a value of little more than in the corresponding period of 1941. The figures for that quarter in the last three years are as folExcgsh of Exports. Imports. Exncrts. £ £ £ 1942 .... 20.522.000 10.401.0b0 10,421,0’0 > 1941 .... 19,139 t 000 8,979.000 10.ICO.(.00 I 1940 .... 21,700.000 10.058,000 11.642,000 1 ’ . I The returns for March in the last three 1 years are as follows: — Excess of i Experts. Imports. Exports. I £ £ £ 1942 .... 7,482,000 .3.956,000 3.526,000 1941 .... 6.408,000 3.934,000 2.474.000 1940 .... 7,265,000 2,728,000 4,537.000 Ail the values are expressed in terms of New Zealand currency. Find jour market”lvltlT*an in > ertisement in “The Chronicle” in the Small Advertisement Columns.