CAMP CONDITIONS

Waikato Times, Volume 125, Issue 20952, 3 November 1939, Page 4

CAMP CONDITIONS

TRIBUTE AT BURNHAM HIGH STANDARD OF WORK (Special to Times.) CHRISTCHURCH, Thursday The belief that no troops in the world enjoyed better conditions than the men of the New Zealand special force now in camp at Burnham was voiced yesterday by the General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military Forces, MajorGeneral J. E. Duigan. Major-General Duigan, who made a thorough inspection at Burnham, said that he could not speak too highly of the great work carried out at the camp since the war began. The improvements carried out had been in keeping with the most modem military thought. Everything had been done for the welfare of the men, both in their training and from the social aspect. “Officers and men are full of pep and enthusiasm,” he declared, “and their training is going on smoothly and according to plan. I spent much of my time watching the training of the machine-gun battalion, and they are a fine body of men from the top down.” Major-General Duigan expressed appreciation of the work being carried out at the camp by the Y.M.C.A,. the Church of England, and the Salvation Army. It was splendidly done, he said. “I am also very glad to see that you have formed an organisation in Christchurch to look after the men while they are on leave,” he said. “I think I can speak for the Army Board in expressing appreciation of this work. It is very necessary and of the greatest value.” STAFF CHANGES NORTHERN DISTRICT HAMILTON OFFICER Appointments and withdrawals of officers in various units of the special military force in the northern military district were announced by the Army Department yesterday. Captain H. C. Maikle has withdrawn from the 4th and sth Anti-Tank Company. Lieutenant L. W. Reanney has been appointed to the 22nd Auckland Battalion, from which Second-Lieutenant N. Pountney has withdrawn. Mr E. F. Cooper, of Hamilton, has been commissioned as a second-lieutenant, and has been posted to the Ninth Light Aid Detachment, New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps. Regular N.C.O.'s The appointment of several noncommissioned officers of the regular army personnel to positions in the second echelon of the Second New Zealand Division is announced. The men will serve with the Rifle Battalion. The appointments are as follows: —Battalion sergeant-major, Sergeant L. R. Musgrave; battalion quarter-master-sergeant, Staff-Sergeant R. S. Barnes; company non-commis-sioned officers, Staff-Sergeant J. W. Coe, Sergeant C. R. Wotherspoon, Acting-Sergeants V. R. Sexton, and D. M. Sweeney. Charge of Theft Appearing before Mr S. L. Paterson, S.M., in the Magistrate’s Court, Hamilton, to-day on a charge of stealing £1 10s at Gisborne on March 7, Cyril Henry Charles Nicholl, aged 42, a salesman of no fixed abode, was remanded to appear at Gisborne on November 10. Bail was allowed at £SO in accused's own recognisance and one surety of £SO. Gifts Banned Most popular of all gifts made by New Zealanders to friends in the United Kingdom—a carton of butter or a choice cut of lamb—will be missed by hundreds of families at Home during the approaching Christmas season. Under the conditions of purchase of Dominion produce by the Imperial Government gifts of this kind have been completely banned, and the distribution of butter, meat and other essential foodstuffs is strictly rationed. Numbers of inquiries have been received recently by the External Division of the Primary Products Marketing Department from people who wish to arrange gifts of produce, as in past years, but the reply in all cases has been that the Ministry of Supply in England, which is now controlling the position, is declining all such request*.