DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 443, 27 February 1909, Page 10

DEFENCE NOTES.

,-'' ■ (By. EcnEioHO ; .

'f INFANTRY tRAININC. One of the problems Which have engaged the attention of- those; responsible for the training of the various branches of the New Zealand defence- forces has been the somewhat difficult question of how, to;make the work of tho infantry :more interesting and: offective. .It is ah axiom of education that the. best results are usually Obtainable where the drudgery is inevitably associated with tho assimilation of knowledge is .Materially-.light-ened by the introduction of some, medium of instruction whereby .the work is made interesting and attractive. A school-hoy Will „cotae aWayfronj a kinematograpk exhibition, where he has seen, some interesting "travel-pictures," With a far better knowledge of.- let -Us. say, Niagara : Fails, than he would etcrabsbrb frdm.a geography book,'or the most vivid description which the eloquence. Of his teaOher- could, possibly bring before hishiental vision. Much of tho Jsest and enthusiasm which characterise the Work of the garrison and field artillery, and the field engineers, : arise.froni the interesting character of their drill and instruction. In a lesser degree .this is also true of the hiouiited corps. But: in' the- infailtry .branch. Of tho. service enthusiasm is less, easily created in tie rani/ and file. : , Rifle, shooting supplies one;feature, of interest, atid, in the Opinion of, many/ is an important factor in the maintenance of tho infantry' rOll'strength. : But shooting,.though one of the main essentials "of. military efficiency,: .is' not,. per. Se, the chief end and aim of ..infantry. training.. . Putting: that oh one side," what" mains? Weekly parades in the drill-hall; an occasional, held.- day,., and . ..the .Easter 'camp'." But something Very much more than that is Wanted, .. '■;'■[< For. some light oU - tho sitUatioft) - the: Writer asks iatantrynieh to foad/carefully and thoroughly, a prize essay on the sub-ject,-which was read,before the Wellingtoni GarrisoU'Oliiters': Club: during ..its last : ses-' sion, and which is now '-being;circulated:in pamphlet'form.'- The author is Captain G.. S. Richardson, Chief Instructor of Headquarters Staff,' New Zealand-Defence Forces. At the commencement of the winter session, a "lecture',' •■'"■ "Notes Training'* •(Japanese and British methods compared), Was. read by Colonel. AV-W,: Robin,. .C.B., J Chief of the General Staff, and ■ those- pre-, sent were invited ,to enter fof a prize competition' oh the : subject, of "How, ;to"make the training of an infantry Company ; more interesting and eifective in the time at. present at its.dispoSa}'during eVening-.ahdday-': light parades." The 'essays were...duly: handed in, and the hdjUdicatdrs : had ho hesitation in awarding the toremier ptaoe tp.the Very' comprebensive atid ..able, treatise firebared by-Captaih P.ichardson,' Whoso .train- . ing and.experience), explained Colonel.Robin A to the Writer, placed : him in a very. favoUr-" ; able ..-position of advantage, in fcompetitipa With the', volunteer, officers'.'. Three 'excellent! essays, Said the Colohei, were -those writtenby Captain . M'athesoh ; .(WellingtonW.Coilege ;- ,Cadets), Lleiitefiant Vf. V,;. Smith ,• (Active . List, unattached), and Lieutenant -J; ; . G>: : RpaCho (Wellington Guards), all of whose Work Was vVefy highly/COttmeilded.''.,■..Thai" sucha thoughtful contribution to, the literature of infantry; training' as Was-prepared bjl\Captain Richardson, should cdme.from, art::

uruiiery oiucer.; is - an. interesting siue-ngiio On the extensive railed of liis knowledge oa : .tailitaryr,,feamirigi;-- v formation of the.-rafale arid Ule; will printed hi. this■-. cdhirim;" The first' install , merit appears to-day; .and here ,ie. the IntM-v duction:- — '.'"'.'.■.!• .'"''-.\.;-'s' ■ ■ v"--' I '-'.V-. "If :'the title of this essay"had been,"Ho*, to make the Trainingpf 6Uf ; lnfahtry more '. Interesting rtiid Effective, 1 ' the --answer ;tosuch a question : frdUld: be .given;-By those: .officers' Who? have. Watched' tho. groivth, arid development of'our present volunteer-system," inrthese Words:\(l) Train .the officer. , to ..a, higher, standard- 'of';-efficiency: -■' (2) •; Devote'; more. time; to' musketryarid tactical! training !■' of the raniipflnd^nlcaa,'..".;',;-,..; -. ,';-?■• . '.'Both "of ihW'sUggestioris,' howetfei 1 , heocS--. sitate; additional time being ijivori up by the 7 Volunteer tri his military- duties—a condition which■; hasi.to;.be avoided:in this article,-and,' frhich thei'efore 1 , fenders -It Very-difficult., to formulate a really scheme .-of. training,.although it is-;a comparatively-easy, task to Hiako , suggestions, for improving the . present system. ',>-. .-..- .--,.-■ ■•' . \--■ ■'■■-■ "The T 'eSoienoy ot any force as a fighting Unit is so-entirely dependent upon good training that -. it is unnecessary -to -.comment' on -the .'. necessity;, for.'a sound 'and" practicalsystem. : .of instruction,-Which, owing td the limited .time available in a' volunteer force, must be considerably modified from ..that iaid down m ••■. 'Infantry iTfaifiihg.'. The'pfihdplls,: how-', .ever, that gflVcril the training ofV.a regular , Infantry .company'.equally, apply : to a yolufiteer ;company, ; itifaeing a.sine ;qua non those; clHders, who'..are ;to lead.in war must, personally instruct their-niori in peace. :[/■■: :'■ "The great difficulty, however, ift carrying? put this principle iii its. entirety a voluit-'. teer - force- lies in' the fact that the., officers '■;. and'non-oommissioned'officers have not the same experience, and consequently, except in '■' individual • cases of. special ability, ard riot; so capable,, of imparting .instruction as their?;; comrades .'in. ttib regular forces. ..-...--'-;., : "Before to lay down any scheme/ of instruction/it isnecessary to consider the ■ defects in.:bur present systeni.whichj. in the> "'•■ opinion of the.writer, are:-r-(i) Officers and. N.C.O.'s insufficichtly/trained to personally carry out the instruction- of their conimarida., (2). -fed little -time, devoted ..to ! 'instructibh,.;'. particularly? with! regafd to.afield-work,. -. (3)I ' Bad attendance -at parades,, -which, renders progressive training' impossible... ,(4).;Absence. of an authorised; and ..uniform -system ..of .progressive instruction, suitable i»' present.' coriuitiorjs of Service, tot -guide officer's iii the training of. their eomm'ahdsi; . "Sticdes'S : in. training any unit depends eh- ?. 1 tifeiy ■ up'b'ri?.its?cfficcrs, .whose . standard of .: efficiency, aiid keenness.is always reflected .in..' the.men under their command; .therefore, our:'.. first, problem is to. insviro,lnfantry.ibfficer's being properly;traified,_ fit .them:;; to "' impart, instruction iii a practical arid -in- . terestihg iiiaflher.' ,' ?■;','.-,'.. ".-...:. ~ : ?-v ■ "Tlirpuglidtit New Zealand, a.great'deai-oi.?. good has,.beeil doilo.by the special, officers'.-" clHSstjs? formed 'in connection _with; the School '•; of; Instruction, ;_fbr: - teaching , elementary / 'tactics, field engineering;-: etc.; but , these.' classes ar6 'riot, sufficiently, backed up.?by distrhjt clashes, .which should bo more'fro??: gueiitly held and Specially organised?for the" training of 6fiksrs' and N.C.O.'s" iiwtkeir? special duties." Tinder, a .volunteer.system it': is ihipOssiblo to.hold battiilibii coriircanders ? i-espOhSible' . : for.the, training' of .'officers; :this J duty? Carl only '.be' by? the holding 6f district classes," which should. be always lield Under,, the .. of ths.i Offlcei' .Cofturidriding thoitlistnct—tto iristrtic-".-'-. tioii being carried otit- by the, District-'" Adjutant; (A.A.G;) and Staff /Officer'liistruc-..'-tors". "By.this 'ar'rnngemciitthe'staiida'rd of,' effieieiicy of' r the ofßsers. of a district will be.; a reflex-of the-Disti'ict'Staff. 'W-. -..

;■ '.'The special subjects taught .at these classes';;. should. be such as company .officers are' called.. upon to teaCh their men, the.. instruction . being carried out in a most 'practical manner, "■ and made' very interesting; for, if the staff; officer caniiot make his. instruction, interest-; ' irig, he* call it be- expected that the Company." officer shall do sol In England the; volunteerofficer looks to his brother officer.. in the*-.'. regulars fo? example, '-method of ; training, 0t0.," but in New/Zealand tho Permanent : :.. Staff officers are tho only models for- tho"; volunteer officer to imitate, thus, the iicces-'._> sitv'foi' 6ui\ staff officers,being in all respects V ■ highly.'efficient; Our?district- staff officersShould bo constantly': on parade' in. order to ■'■'• assist, by example and personal instirictiott, : 'i . to train company officers to a high standard '■' of efficiencyas instructors, -in order thafc-thpy ;'-; ; ' may-be able to'interest their, men and get.;; thebest results from, thorn in the limited; ~ time" available..-- •>'■ - : , A --x- , ..'/,^ "At presfflit, in many companies, instrilctioli .' in anything beyond elementarydrilKis rarely eVef carried, out, and most of the more .iii-'. interesting and : important; part of a soldier's ■ = training is neglected—duo, no doubt, to the;,.- r difficulty dfficers experience in ■ 'carrying; out ; ,. advanced instruction in a drilUiall, and the' greater difficulty of getting sufficient field ■ . training.".','A' great:;deal jiheire, :. however, can- : bo;carried out without asking the volunteer',; '; to. give ;Up" more tirho -Jihan is, required of --.;- him.undcr the'present system", and. oompanj " officers cafi hardly" bo blamed if' they have ; failed in the past; in theft!most 'difficult task,' . as they merely require -'a -lead to be; give*'". : ; them as to how suitable' training is U> be ?" carried oiit. ■-.. ':■ Cfo la continued.} '-. : 'vhy>--,