GUARDING THE GATE.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1206, 15 August 1911, Page 5

GUARDING THE GATE.

COLONEL CAMPBELL'S NEW COMMAND. COAST DEFENCES REORGANISED. Important developments with regard to tlio organisation of the coast .defences at Hie fortified xrorts of New Zealand are pending. In Wellington, as has \ previously been announced, tlio Commanding Officer of tho Garrison Artillery Division (Lieutenant-Colonel G. 1\ C. Campbell) has been appointed Coast D'efcnco Commander, with tho rank of colonel, tho appointment carrying with it a wider scopo of authority and responsibility, and a higher status. During the course of a conversation with Colonel CnmpbE'll yesterday, a representative of The Dominion' gathered some interesting information \rilli regard (o tho organisation and probable scopo of this new department of the defences. Hitherto tho defence of the gate of Wellington—tho front door, as it were—has rc-sted entirely and solely with tho Garrison Gunners, a division consisting of tho old Wellington and Petonu Navals and the Electric Section, supplemented by a detachment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery. These units of the division were posted to tho various batteries which constitute what .are called the fixed defences of tho port. Tho l'ctone Navals manned Fort Kelburne, at Ngahauranga, tho Wellington Navals wore posted at Fort Dorset, at Seatoun, and the Electric Light Section, latterly converted into a gunnery corps, at Fort Jiallance, overlooking Mahacga Bay. Tlio principles of n properly-organised system of coast defcnco laid it down that the Garrison Artillery stations at tho various forts should be augmented by flank and rear guards of infantry, working over a fairly extensive area of tha country in the neighbourhood of tlio fortifications, but tile difficulty of recruiting experienced under tlio old volunteer system rendered tlio organisation of the necessary companies a practical impossibility.

Under the new scheme, the men will be available, and after the various existing units have been brought up to their {nil war strength at the end of this month by posting,thereto the registered youths who have passed the medical test now being rapidly completed, steps will fco taken to organise the infantry supports for tho Garrison Artillery. The coast defence command wilt then consist of the Wellington Territorial Garrison Artillery (three companies) a small battalion of infantry, with perhaps a squadron of mounted infantry for scouting and patrol duties, an engineer scction, and an ambulancs corps.

In accordance with a. recent order, the garrison bands at (he. various centres will cease to exist as such, and will either have to be absorbed by regiments as regimental bands, or accept the 'alternative of becoming private bands. The Wellington Garrison Band may, if its members are willing to accept certain conditions which will be laid down by the Coast Defence Commander, be atinclud to Colonel Campbell's command, and part of their obligations will include tho duties of a bearer corps. Finally, when the organisation of the ooast defence forces has been completed, Colonel Cainplwll will relinquish the divisional artillery command, which will bo taken over by Major P. J. Courtney, and will then assume command liver the general sphere of coast defence, which will include training, field manoeuvres over the area assigned to the supporting infantry troops, and so oil.