TERRITORIAL GUARD

Camp News (Northern Command), Volume 1, Issue 13, 26 July 1940, Page 6

TERRITORIAL GUARD

Ceremonial Drill At Headquarters — IMPRESSIVE DISPLAY Every hour of the day there is a . guard mounted at the buildings which serve as the headquarters of the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, now in training for three months, and the Central District School of Instruction at which n.c.o.’s and officers of a numher of regiments and arms of the ser- ! vice are being given an intensive course j preparatory to their units going into j three .months’ camp. Members of the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, provide the guard, which consists of a sergeant, corporal, and 10 other ranks. With bodies of troops bearing arms entering and • leaving the headquarters building continuously through the day, the mounting of the guard at the present arms as they pass through is an

impressive feature. The peak of all drill is the standard attained at guard-mounting, and each day the new guard picked is given a solid instruction in the various arms movements performed on this ceremonial duty, as.well as being informed of the requirements of members of the guard. The objects of ceremonial, of which guard-mounting is a part, are to promote an esprit de corps and by the attainment of a high standard of smartness and cohesion on the parade ground to assist in the development of the moral qualities which are essential to success in war. It is held that these objects can be reached by careful preparation and exact execution on all ceremonial occasions. The guard performs sentry duty at main entrance and exit points to the headquarters building, as well as turning out in full for the saluting of armed bodies of troops. Respect for the person and office of a sentry or guard, is as strongly enjoined by military law as that required to be paid to an officer. A sentry, in respect of the duties I with which he is charged, represents : the supreme military authority of the command to which he belongs and whose orders he is required to enforce on or in the vicinity of his post. As such he is entitled to the respect and obedience of all persons who come within the scope of operations of the orders which he is required to carry into effect.

Absolute Authority. Over military persons the authority of the sentry or guard is absolute and disobedience of his orders on the part of such persons constitutes a most serious military offence and is prejudicial in the highest degree to the interests of discipline. Therefore the guards to be seen at the points of the headquarters buildings and grounds every hour of the day represent men to be heeded by civilian and soldier alike. The soldiers leaving and entering the camp are required to march past the guard at the slope. They must be properly dressed—a button undone or

a tunic loose, constitutes a soldier “regimentally naked”—and any such remissness on their part is pointed out by the guard. They cannot pass till they have corrected it. One guard is on duty from 10 a.m. of one day till 10 a.m. the next. Each man is on for two hours at a time, the full guard not being needed to cover the sentry points, and then has four hours off before resuming for another tw 0 hours. Nevertheless all members of the guard must be ready to turn out at full strength at instant notice. There is a comfortable guard room where the men can rest and have refreshments. The various companies of the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment., supply the guard in turn, and Pnrh ’i c guard in turn, and each is keen to provide the smartest.