TRAINING AT THE FRONT.

Wanganui Herald, Volume L, Issue 14742, 22 October 1915, Page 8

TRAINING AT THE FRONT.

FRENCH TEACH OUR GUNNERS. M. Clemcuccau’s journal, 1-'Homme Encliaine, publishes extracts from a letter by a British general describing' the methods by which British troops newly arrived in France are trained for service at the front. I AJ ter explaining' that each fresh British brigade joins a British division for a period of ten days in order to familiarise itself with trench work, the general says that the artillery is given a week 'a training with French batteries. This does them a lot of and they; are, as they say themselves, as proud as peacock.-;. The French gunnel's are as charming a-s possible to them. General: X. came to me last night extremely satisfied with what he had seen. The French officers neglect nothing in order to make everything agreeable and instructive to our men of all ranks. This is how we spent yesterday: One of my guns was carefully drawn to the position at present occupied by a French gnu, ,in the centre of a French battery. Our men worked their best in order to do things well under the eyes of the French gunners. After having placed the British' gun on the right spot,' the Frenchmen communicated to our officer the-precise position of a machine-gun emplacement situated at a range of about 1800 yards. They knew this emplacement, and they were able to hoi)) us -to time our fuses with the greatest accuracy. r Indeed, they showed themselves past masters iu the 'art of making our men believe that they -were doing things themselves. Then wo fired our gun, and at the second shot the German emplacement was destroyed, at which there was groat joy among our section of gunners, 'there was the- same joy and heartv congratulation on the part of the French gunners. Afterwards, down below in the depth of the earth, in a refuge which was secured againet shrapnel. tea was served on a white cloth with glasses and cups. To-dav the position will be occupied by three French guns and one British gun; to-morrow'by two French guns and two British; next by three British and one French gun. All this time the battery will he commanded bv a French battery commander, who hitherto has never seen British gunners. Only when the baiterv consists of four English guns will a British officer take command of it. . Until then- he will remain as long as necessary receiving, with Iris British gunners, indications with regal'd to drawn from the experience of the French gunners, who haye held the position since November, 191t; Only one man can command; a battery of fftur guns, and that is always the man who has been longest on the spot, 'without respect of nationality or seniority. I need not tell you that, the French are piist masters in the art) of making things us agreeable as passible for as, and our men will be genuinely sorry when the French batteries leave us. In the meantime, nothing in the world could ho hotter than the instruction of our gunners, who arc still inexperienced. ’. . . .1 am glad to sav that 12 of my 1G batteries are subjected -to the conditions which I have described.