ARMY SERVICE CORPS

Press, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22510, 19 September 1938, Page 15

ARMY SERVICE CORPS

WEST COAST TREK

lATISFACTION WITH RESULTS

EXPRESSED

' ‘The objects of the tour were fully (justified, and the last day’s journey ever the Lewis Pass provided greater variety of training in mechanical work for young troops than I have ever seen before.” said Lieutenant G. H. Macan, Hew Zealand Staff Corps, unit adjut«nt of the Third Composite Company Army Service Corps, of Christchurch, when commenting yesterday on the trek made to the West Coast last week, llthty-seven officers and men or tne corps, with Captain E. J- Stock as om- ■ cer commanding, took part in the trek, ' end arrived hack on Saturday. Captain T. Fletcher Telford. N.Z.A.M.C., was medical officer, and Major A. McNeur i Was padre. . ' . . "The authorities can justly claim that, the tour showed great keenness I on the part of a young territorial unit »nd justified the faith of headquarters 1 hi the ability of the men to negotiate si difficulties.” said Lieutenant Macan. "We. set out on a programme of taking the cars over difficult country, and .Jhc difficulties were increased by the bad weather, which made the training ffil the more valuable. The unit came ■ through with flying colours. The way •hey handled the cars on thfeir return to Christchurch showed the great imj movement that had been made.” Lieutenant Macan said that in traveling over the Lewis Pass every possible kind of road and weather diffl- ' culty had been encountered, the recovery of stranded vehicles, slips, washouts, tod crossing fords. The negotiation of •he large slip three miles from Maruia Springs had been a particularly good *at of driving. , ... '.Another object was the testing of the ‘ Waofc he said, and the results had Ijfoagd' very satisfactory. Not one of me ffiut’s own vehicles had broken *>wn; all the trouble was caused by ljur cars hired from the Public Works °«Partment. x ..There were no serious accidents to ** men during the trip, but the keen-yss-with which the men ‘worked in JJallng with repairs to vehicles and Jpcuing stranded cars was shown by 5* number of cases of minor bruises fid cuts. In all 160 of these were atgnded to by the medical officer and "“Orderlies. . One result of the trip, according to - Macan. was that numerous ... you tries had been received about the vJJJJa. although it was doubtful if manv - recruits could be received, as it j almost up to peace time establish- " There was no doubt that great yrest had been aroused, fudging by • given in the West Coast I an< i it was likely that the visit ■ TOUId also stimulate interest- in the "•SJorial units there. are well and truly satisfied.” he j! "Many problems of transport brought out, and the knowledge ’DDM gained is of high value,”