THE CAMP AND THE MEN

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2469, 24 May 1915, Page 3

THE CAMP AND THE MEN

BIGNESS OF TRENTHAM MEN'S FINE SPIRIT ALL EAGER TO GET AWAY How many people in Wellington have any idea what Trontham camp is like? Those who have never seen it, or those who saw ifc in tho rough many months ago, would be amazed now at tile bignoss of tho place, and the order prevailing everywhere. The first impression one gets of it at a distant view is that of a big collection of galvanised iron buildings, many of tliem large. There are touts in view too ; but Doside tho spreading rows of buildings the tents nro insignificant. Everybody has heard that "hutments" are being built for the men to giro them better protection against the cold of winter. A less number of people, may remomber that thoy read somewhere that every hutment is to consist of two rooms, an eating room and a sleeping room, for 100 men. But havo any of them thought how big tho building must be to accommodate such a number of men? Each of these "hutments" is in fact big enough, if fitted with seats, to accommodate as many people as some of Wellington's kinema houses. And there are rows of them already, with more row 6 to bo built. How Trentham Has Crown. There is not a building in the placo that has not been enlarged to meet growing requirements, and scarcely one that is not found too small. The canteen, for example, is really a surprisingly big provision store, but it is hopelessly inadequate. When the Salvation Army established themselves at Trentham they . built an "Institute." Later they extended it, and added a wing. Lately they havo sold it to the canteen authorities, who are building yet another wing, and the Salvation Army are building a monster new institute, 90ft. by 50ft. At shops within the lines men can buy thing but alcohol. Trentham is huge, incomparably bigger than anything of its sort this country has over known. It has a popular tion of about 4-500 men, more young men than there are in any of the New Zealand towns except the four biggest centres. Shortly it will have a population of upwards of 7000 men. Those familiar with the landscape there know the extent of the wide plain on which the camp sits. The plam is too small for the parade ground, and already with the daily tramp of thousands of men, all trace of turf has been worn off it. It will be no picnic resort when 7000 men have drilled over it through the winter. Even now the mud is ankle deep in the had patches in wet weather. The erection of the hutments is a big undertaking, as shown by the fact that there aro now 100 carpenters at work on them. About 20 of these hutments will be ready for occupation in a week or so, and more will be built. A new cook-house is in course of erection, also new bath shelters, and the new base hospital, _ arid extensive drainage works are being carried out. It will not bo possible to have all the hutments finished for use for some weeks, and it seems probable that many of the men will have to live under canvas through the winler. The tents- are all to be floored, however, and many men have expressed"el desire to be allowed to keep their tents and the same tent-mates, in preference to joining a bigger party 'in one of the wood-and-iron shelters. The most remarkable feature of the camp is the entire absence of all disorder. It is not a model village, of course, but such as it is the soldiers make the best of it. A very welcome improvement announced by the Minister for Defence on Saturday is the _ lighting of the whole camp by electricity. This will add greatly to the comfort of the troops, for inadequate lighting has been one of the greatest discomforts at the camp. Hard and Keen. The soldiers themselves are, however, more interesting than all the new buildings and everything else iu the place, and they are interesting because they do their work with such wholesome zest and precision, and because they keep their good humour, good health, and good spirits all the time. The ordering of their day is something like this: Reveille at 6 a.m.; physical drill for three-quarters of an hour before breakfast, breakfast, then more drill, lunch, and more drill until, say, 4.30. The soldiers do not wear at the camp tho khaki kit they wear on leave, but the most ill-fitting, _ untidy denim suits imaginable, and" in this unsoldiorly garb they drill with smarts liess such as no New Zealand _ troops evor had a chance of attaining in the past. On Friday they came off the parade ground at 12 noon, tired after a hard morning's work on a breathless 1 warm morning, but not a trace of sulkiltess or chafing could be detected. _ On the contrary, thoy were in the brightest of good humour, jolly, laughing, and sportive, although it should bo hero said that horse-play and unseemly boisterous antics are not encouraged in the lines. Good-bye to the Hospital Boys. The event of the day was the departure of the Stationary Hospital men, who paraded for inspection by Lieuten-ant-Colonel Potter at 12.15 p.m., before coming to Wellington. The Colonel warned the men that in Sydney all eyes would be ou them as being the first New Zealand troops to land there, and that they 6hould strive so to comport themselves there as to uphold the honour of the camp, the New Zealand army, and the New Zealand peoplo. After these few words tho men wero marched off, and someone among tlio soldiers congregated round called for cheers for the Hospital boys. They simply crashed out the_ cheers. All along the lines on their way out of the camp other clusters raised other cheers, all lusty. It was evident that every man of those left behind was envious, breaking his heart to get away. We havo heard something of New Zealanders' exploits already. ( These men at Trentham are of the sort that will do just as big things if ever the chances come their way. Somehow, the soldiers, some of them, do not always look their best in the city while on leave—which is the only time that most people see and criticise them — but in their own camp, at their ami job, they aro magnificent.