EASTER MANOEUVRES

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 463, 23 March 1909, Page 7

EASTER MANOEUVRES

NEWS AND NOTES. TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS. Preparations for tho mobilisation of ths troops in the Wellington military district at Oringi, some miles north of Woodville, during tho Easter holidays, aro now l being pushed forward. Tho military district of Wellington comprises an area, which stretcheo from Wellington city in tho south, northward to New Plymouth on tho west, and Gisbprno on tho cast, and from every centra within this area, troops will bo transported to the base camp at Oringi on April 8. It is estimated that '2111 of all ranks, and 382 horses, will entrain at various points, and for tho transport of these, 00 carriages, and 56 trucks will bo required. The Troop Trains. Tho train, arrangements aro as follow :— Hutt Valley troops.—Tho Hutt Valley men (30 odd) will entrain at Lower Hutt station at 6.36 p.m., and join tho Wellington' city troops (TOO odd) at Thorndon, lrom which station two trains will leave at 7.50 and 8.30 p.m. respectively, arriving at Oringi, via tho Mauawatu line, at 2.26 and' 3.25 a.m. Tho horses (42 in six trucks) will be. attached to tho 8.3D p.m. train. Wairarapa troops.—Tho special train for the conveyance of tho Wairarapa troops and horses will leave .. Greytown at 7.20 p.m.; Cartortoii, 8.3 p.m.; Jiasterion (horses also entrained here), 10 p.m.; Eketahuna (horses also), 11.30 p.m.; i'ahiatua, 12.30 a.m.: Woodville, 1.20 a.m.; arrive at Oringi, 1.55 a.m. on April 9 (Good Friday). Hawke's Bay troops.—The transport ttaiu. for 'men and horses froni the East Coast districts will Icavo Napier at 7.20 p.m.; Hastings, 7.55 p.m.; To Aute, 8.35 p.m.; Waipawa, 0.20 p.m.; Waipukurau, 0.42 p.m.; Dauuevirke, 11.5 p.m.; arrive at Oringi, 11.33 p.m. Now Plymouth-Eltham troops.—Troops and horses from the Now Plymouth-Eltham district will leave New- Plymouth at 8 p.m., ; and join tho detachment leaving Waitara at tho same hour, at Sentry Hill; Ingowood, 8.50 p.m.; Stratford, 9.35 p.m.; Eltham, 9.53 p.m.; thenco on a non-stop run to Palmer - ton, leaving thero with a Palmerston detachment, at 4.30 a.m., for Oringi, arriving there at 6.25 a.m. on Good Friday. Another detachment from Paliherstcn will entraiu at 8.10 a.m. on April 9, and is timed to arrive at Oringi at 10,30 a.m. Hawera-Waverley troops.—Tho detachments , from tho Hawera-Waverley district will leave Huwera at 5.32 p.m.; Patea, 6.33 p.m.; Waverley, 6.57 p.m.; arrive at Oringi 2.52 a.m. Wanganui-Marton troops.—Tho train oonvcying the Wanganui-Marton troops 13 timed to leave Wanganui at 11.30 p.m.; Martoil, 1.45 a.m.; arrive at Oringi 5.40 a.lll. Hunterville-Feilding troops.—Detachments from Huntervillo and Feilding will leave tho former station at 12.5 p.m.; Feilding, 3.53 p.m.; arrive Oringi, 7.40 p.m. These detachments, with tho East Coast troops, will be tho only ones to arrive in camp on Thursday, April 8; the others will arrivo in tho early hours of Good Friday morning.' Pigeon Expresses. Tho usual links betwf-en far Oringi and tho capital city of tho Dominion, upon which the supposed enemy has designs, aro the railway and the telegraph. Tlieso will bo supplemented by a third line/of communication —tho pigeon express. The idea is the outcome of a suggestion from Lieut. Duigan, Engineer Staff Officer at headquarters, that tho services of tho Wellington Homing Pigeon Club bo enlisted, an idea which t]io members of the club have enthusiastically taken up. Liov.t.-Colonel Baucbop, C.M.G., Officer Commanding the Wellington District, has approved of tho suggestion, and tho club, determined to do itself honour, has decided to put its best fliers into training forthwith. Tho details of tho schemo are now being drafted by Captain T. W. M'Donald, As-sistant-Adjutant-General . Mr. C. Haynes, a member of tho club, and the owner of some very fine birds, stated to our representative yesterday that the club was prepared to placo 150 trained longdistance fliers on the sen-ice. Some of theso, have flown from Russell (Bay of Islands), Auckland, and even from Stewart Island. Tho birds will be handled at Oringi by a staff 60lected from among tho members of the club. Commissariat. Captain C. Harcourt Turner, Assistant Quartermaster-General, left town yesterday for Oringi, in connection 'with tho commissariat' and transport arrangements. He will be away for two or three days. An Important Memorandum. In Saturday's issue of The Dominion thero appeared under the heading of "Defenco Notes," a review, by "Echelon," of an important memorandum 011 army training which was recently issued by the Chief of UlO General, Staff in England. 'J'his memorandum, stated the writer, was of special significance to the defence forces of tho British oversea dominions, and would probably have somo bearing on tho Easter operations of 1910, if not at this year's operations. This view, it now transpires, is correct. Copies of • tho memorandum have been issued to the officers 'commanding the various military districts of New Zealand, whose tactical schemes will bo - largely influenced by the principles laid down by tho British Army Council.