ABREAST OF TIMES

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 87, Issue 1, 2 January 1943, Page 3

ABREAST OF TIMES

NEW ZEALAND ARMY OBSERVERS IN THE PACIFIC Wellington, Dec. 31. “The recent return from the New Guinea battle area of two Army Headquarters staff officers sent there to gain first-hand knowledge of jungle fighting is an indication of the contnuous effort made to keep army training in New Zealand fully abreast of modern requirements,” said the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, to-day. The Minister added that a short time ago another staff officer wa°. sent on a similar mission to the Solomons.

“Every assistance was given to these officers by the Allied commanders in the areas concerned to gain a true appreciation of the prob- 1 lems affecting operations in tropical jungle country.” said Mr Jones, “They studied all phases of the fighting signals svstems. employment of artillery, air co-operation, supply and com munications, and the operation of medical services, and also visited the forward positions where Allied troops were in actual contact with the enemy. Upon their return to New Zealand the officers were required to furnish full reports covering then and these written renort? were supnlemented bv lectures to senior staff officers. The information was studied at once and immediate steps taken to embodv in armv training in this country changes and additions shown to be necessarv to nrenare troons for operations under similar conditions. “In addition to sending military observers to the various fronts those in charge of armv trainingain much of the information required to keen the Armv un to date ; n new methods and the emnioyment of new enuinment from renorts supplied bv 1 -™- don. sifter Dominions, and our allies particularly reports dealing with actual fighting on the various battle new considered likelv to ho of value to the fighting man or any other branch of the military r 0 r»o s training in New Zealand is inserted In training programmes with the least possible delay,” concluded the Minister.