NEW ZEALAND’S ARMY

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 124, 29 May 1942, Page 7

NEW ZEALAND’S ARMY

Military Organization ADDRESS BY GENERAL I . ' ■ Troops Keen, Fit And Well Trained

“Our Army is the people’s Army, m which the people must have a part,” said Lieutenant-General E. Puttick, D. 5.0., G.O.C. New Zealand Forces, in a broadcast address last night in which he gave a 20minute review of military activities in the Dominion, touching on the system of defence, methods of training and particularly the attitude of the public to their soldiers. He said it might be possible to give more attention in future to keeping the " public informed about the Army. General Puttick explained that it was impossible to have troops defending the whole of New Zealand’s coastline, and the defence of certain danger joints had been decided on. Those local forces had to be kept at a minimum so that the mobile forces on which the security of the country depended could be kept at the highest strength. Since the Japanese had entered the war the equipment position had improved rapidly, and the quantities of equipment that had arrived -and continued to arrive exceeded all expectations.

During his inspections since his return from overseas the troops* had carried on with their normal work. He had found the efficiency of officers and non-comissioned officers better than he

had expected, and it was obvious that the Army schools were producing excellent results. Commenting on the keenness of the men, General Puttick mentioned specially the married men and the Maoris. The troops seemed fit and well, undertaking long marches and learning to look after themselves in the field. The swimming campaign inaugurated some months ago had made good progress. The medical services were doing first-class work in camps and .hospitals. Training in New Zealand was influenced considerably by the results of fighting abroad, and reports, documents and officers from overseas were all used to ensure

training in the type of fighting that might be necessary in New Zealand. Commenting on manoeuvres he had observed, in which tanks and other branches of the Army had taken part, General Puttick said that the tank crews had shown excellent discipline and the tactical handling of the tanks had been good. Bren gun carriers had been driven over all sorts of country with considerable skill. There had been a good many errors of all kinds, but errors had value in impressing on the men the way in which the work should be done. The Home Guard units he had seen were keen and eager to defend their country. Before the small arms ammunition reserves were high it would have been unwise to issue ammunition to the Home Guard for training,' but reserves had increased in the last few months to an astonishing amount. Already more, than three thousand Home Guard instructors had passed through the schools. What Short-term Course Is. “A good deal of prominence has recently been given to the short-term training syllabus, and I am afraid somewhat extravagant claims have been made for it,” said the general. It had been said a man could be trained

completely for war in 30 days. He could only say it would be a miracle if that could be done. The question was first mooted, so far as he could remember, in 1925. A syllabus was then pre-

pared for the training of men in one month and then extended month by month. “All we claim is that it makes troops* useful and able to fight by their comrades at short notice if necessary,” he said.

For a long time the Army had been taking short cuts in training, but it was not easy to get away from standard practice where many instructors were involved. The instructors themselves had to be instructed first.

Remarking that he bad seen some references to training in bayonet fighting being obsolescent, General 'Puttick claimed that that part of a soldier’s training inculcated the offensive spirit, taught him to take care of himself and enabled him to take part in bayonet charges that might be a decisive factor in a battle. ■ In Crete, Australians and New Zealanders had carried out at least 27 bayonet charges. A certain amount of “spit and polish” also was necessary, for without it one might have a rosy apple with canker at the heart. New Zealand’s troop.- in the Middle East were smart. In New Zealand endeavours were being made to reduce the number of hours allotted to close order training nut there was a minimum under which it would not be safe to go.

Remarking on the large number of .buildings that had been taken over by the Army for the accommodation of men and the readiness of the authorities interested in the buildings to cooperate, General Patrick said thou sands of portable huts had been or ■ dered and they were very popular with the men. He expressed approval of the quality, quantity and preparation of the food. His wife Lad been given the special duty of inspecting the cookhouses and living conditions of the men and had reported that the food was first class. Public Encouragement. General Puttick concluded his speech with a reference to the public's attitude to-the Army. For a time there had been little or no encouragement of the troops, but latterly, after references to the subject by himself, he had noticed a marked improvement in that respect, and it would have an excellent effect on the Army generally. 'The criticism had been made that what he had complained of was due to the pub-

lie not being told about the Army. He had no doubt that the Army did not give out sufficient information, and now that, the tremendous rush of work might be receding a little it might be possible to give attention to that. However, it was as easy for the public to find out the good things about the Army as the bad things. Facts about such things as the men’s food and clothing could be found out from the men themselves, with whom everyone was in contact. He paid a tribute to those in charge of the Army prior to his return to New Zealand and to the Government departments in close contact with the Army. The main objects of the Army at present, said General Puttick finally, were to train to the highest possible efficiency for war in New Zealand or elsewhere, the schools of instruction and staff college being important in that, respect, to perfect defence in all places, including all possible measures to increase the mobility of the Forces, and to maintain morale at the highest possible pitch.