TRAINING YOUNG SOLDIERS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15195, 16 April 1917, Page 6

TRAINING YOUNG SOLDIERS.

BARRACKS AT WANGANUI. COLLEGE. SUCCESSFUL WIND UP. "THE BATTLE OF MOSSTOWN." MINIATURE RETREAT FROM MONS. Four days' barracks held at the Wanganui Collegiate School under the direction of Major J. L. Sleeman, LG.S., oi' the N.Z. lustructional Staff, terminated on Saturday with a realistic sham-fight. The plan of campaign was that a strong enemy force had landed at Castlecliff and had taken up a position on the high ground of the golf links ready to advance on the school citadel—a rising spur on the southwest slopes of St. John's Hill—it being a strongly entrenched position garrisoned by the younger members of the Collegiate School force. From here a strong reconnoitring party had to advance, seek contact with the enemy, ascertain its strength and graduall- fall back on the stronghold, all the while carrying out the difficult military strategy of lighting a rearguard action. In the absence of a real enemy the rival forces marched together to the golf links, where they had lunch. Major J. L. Sleeman briefly addressed the assembled officers and non-coms., and outlined the pending operations and indicated the area over which the battle would be fought. The attackers consisted of the fourth year, or senior boys, on account of the strenuous task ahead, such as jumping fences, etc. Numerically they were not strong, but theoretically it was a skeleton army representative of a strong landing force. The officers in charge were. Captain Knigh, of the Motor Service Corps, assisted by Her«eant Marriner and. Corporal Treadwell. The reconnoitring party consisted of three and a half platoons, and was under the direction of Major Sleeman, and in charge of the school officers and th? instructional sergeants-major. The ouiposts of the rival forces came into collision near the Mosstown Bead, and after some heavy firing the defenders commenced their difficult rearguard action, holding off the enemy's wings, which were threatening to envelope them, and giving ground only when further defensive positions behind had been taken up. The area fought over was for the most part flat 3 relieved by occasional hillocks of sand ar.d shelter trees round the homesteads (in the military sense it was close country), and barbed wire fences provided plenty of exercise. As usual in a rearguard action, small numbers of the defenders were occasionally cut off and compelled to surrender. The prisoners were promptly relieved of their ammunition, and blue and black puggaries round their hats.—a distinguishing mark which subsequently allowed a number of the foes to pose as friends. After about an hour's heavy fighting the reconnoitring party had teen driven back to their base, and in the now limited field of hostilities the spectators present had a splendid view of the operations.

The enemy's left wing was hampered by the fact that the Chinamen's gardens had been proclaimed a neutral area, and they were thus foreed to work round tie sides. The attackers made their final effort in great style coming across the open in short sharp rushes, and taking every advantage of the scanty cover afforded by hedges and fences. The defenders had safe-guard-ed their right flank by posting a force on hig<her commanding ground, and from here and the citadel a devasting rifle fire was directed along the front. The, enemy now made its final effort, and amidst cheers charged up the hillside to the trenches, this being f»he signal for the "Cease Fire" to be sounded. Friend and foe once more united and marched back to the school leaving at the sanatorium the one casualty of the day—a member of the enemy forces who •had the misfortune to get into contact with a barbed wire fence. At the school the operations "were explained in detail by Major -iceman on a blackboard. He said the retirement lad been conducted on the same lines as that at Mons in the present war, and the cadets had been engaged in the most difficult of all military operations. He pointed out slight defects which had come under his observation. The reconnoitrers had bunched too much at a certain stage, there was a tendency to unnecessarily double in retreating, and there had been a lack of fire control by the defenders in the concluding stages. He was, however, very pleased with t«he way in which tne manoeuvres had been carried out by all concerned. He emphasised the advantages of discipline, and bhe need of striving for the highest standard of efficiency available. At t«he invitation of Major Sleeman, several of the officers and non. cons, explained the different tactics they had adopted during the "Battle of Mosstown." In conclusion. Major Sleeman paid a tribute to the zeal and espirit de corps of the school, and thanked the masters and boys for the interest one and all had displayed during t»he four days barracks. He also thanked the College governors? for having granted permission for the school to be used for military training of the boys for the four days. To the four Sergt.-Major Instructors he gave his special thanks, and said they had carried out their duties in a most efficient manner. He was leaving for Waitaki High School to hold a similar "barracks" there, and subsequently he was going to visit other similar schools in the Dominion. When Major Sleeman, who appears to have made himself a favourite with the boys, had finished speaking, he was given three hearty cheers. Cheers were also given for Captain Knight. tie Sergt.-Majors and masters, and the nroeeedings terminated with the singing of "For they are joly good fellows."