GARRISON STAFF RIDE.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 694, 20 December 1909, Page 7

GARRISON STAFF RIDE.

AN INTERESTING HELD DAY. A Garrison Stall Itide Was held yesterday between Johnsonville and Porirua. Nearly;4o officers of. the Wellington. Garrison took part, and the operations were, of'. an: interesting'' and instructive: charactcr. Tho weather lyas.fine. The hypothesis was that an ' invading' force (Blue) hail lauded on the shores of . Porirua Harbour, and that tho defence.forces of Wellington. had mobilised to oppose its advance. Major C. I). Mackintosh was in command of. tho Biuo force, and Major F..J. Courtney (in'the unavoidable absence', of Lieut.-Colonel G. F. ,C. Campbell).! took command-of - tho Reds. Lieut.-Colonel. E. ,W. C. Chaytor had the general direction of tho operations. .' Most of the infantry officers Of Wellington were with Major Mackintosh,, whilo officers of tho Garrison Artillery, Field .'Artillery, and Mounted Rifles ticre under the Red commander. Major Courtney's party'walked out. to Johnsonville, yesterday, morning, but most of the others.V;ent out oil Saturday night,,arrangements for camping, etc., having been made through Captain tihesney, Assistaut-Adjutant-Goneral. Signallers were suppliod'.from tho signalling stall, and horses-froin the permanent, forces .were used.- : The enemy was supposed to commence operations at C.30 aim; On* receipt of tho news, the Red commander ordered the troops at Johnsonville to advance and meet the invaders halfway at Tawa Flat,' with»a view to 1 holding them there until reinforcements could be sent out from' Wellington. Two infantry corps had been stationed (theoretically), at Johnsonville, and one at Tawa-Flat; while .the remainder, of . tho defence forces wcro encamped at New-, town Park.: Unfortunately for tho Reds, their signalling proved defective, and they could not get into touch with their reserves.- Tho result was" that the', forces at Tawu: Flat were sacrificed. Th 6 Blues' triumph', hoitever,: was brief, | for while they were engaged in dislodging the 'defenders at Tawa: Flat, the Reds'.communications were. bstablished, and Cue reinforcements (again theoretically) moved out, and took up a position just beyond- Johnsonville, which was too strong for the Bines to successfully attack. Tho parties - reassembled at Johnsonville . at 5 p.m., and returned to Wellington by the 5.40 train,' As a means of training officers in field work, without having the men actually on tho ground, the staff ride seems to bo a very valuable exercise. . "