CHRISTMAS IN CAMP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2649, 21 December 1915, Page 3

CHRISTMAS IN CAMP

—9 r SOLDIERS' BUSY WEEK PUSHING ON WITH MUSKETRY Although the "Christmas feeling" has permeated the military camps, as it has the civilian community, there has been no slacking off in tne training. At Trentliam yesterday afternoon there was a continuous rattle of rifle shots, the hills behind the raugos echoing the sound until it grew into a steady roar. The Ninth Reinforcements have a lot of musketry to go through. It has been stated that i/hese men have not yet fired a shot, but that is not so, as they have been through their A, or recruits' class. They have yet.'to go through their advanced or Boldiers' course. So the two big ranges behind the camp are in use continuously from 6 a.m. till 6 p.m. There will be a break in their training, due to the Christmas holidays, when the m'en will have leave from Christmas Eve till Sunday night. But at 6 a.m. on Monday -they must be up and at it again, for time is growing short. A now rifle range, available up to 100 yards, has been equipped at the south-eastern end of the parade ground, and is being used for the recruits' <x>urse by the 10th and 11th Artillery and Engineers, and the officers and n.c.o.'s of the 12th and 13th Reinforcements, who are also in camp at Trontham. This is a 50-target range, and will prove most useful. It is called lie Allen range. Problem of Transport. The granting of Christmas leave to all men in Trontham and May _ Morn (lamps—about 6000 in all— upon the Railway Department being able to provide transport. As arranged by the Camp Commandant, Colonel H. R. Potter, in the first instance, the Christmas leave was not to be continuous ; the men were to report at camp ati midnight on each of the three nights. When the leave was made con-, tinuous, so that some of the men might visit their homes in the country or other towns near at- hand, Colonel Potter emphasised the fact, that he only granted continuous leave subject to the railways being able to carry the men at this busy holiday time. This task, it is considered, may prove a difficult one. None of the South Island men, other than those who have already gone, will be able to visit their homes, for the simple reason that tho steamers on the ferry run would be'unable to accommodate them. v - v Christmas Dinner In Camp. The officers and men are looking forward with interest to the invasion of the camps on Thursday by several hundreds of ladies and girls who are to act as volunteer waitresses at the Christmas dinner. This meal, tho supplies for which are being provided by subscription and contributions in kind, under the scheme of the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr. and Mrs. J. P. Luke), will be served at Trentham and May [ilorn on Thursday a,t 6 p.m. The main camp is, of course, amply provided with tables and stools, but at May. Mom the men are iu tents, and usually tea their meals squatting on the tent floors. To provide tables, the city has been ransacked, and about 140 tables have been sent out to May Morn. This number will be added to by the oamp carpenters, who will also make enough stools for all requirement's. Three companies of the Infantry Reserve and the whole of the 11th Infantry Reinforcements are at this camp, over 2000 men all told. The dinner will be served in largo marquees. Work of Waitresses. . . - Tlie task' of providing this meal and of serving it to the men will be carried out in a methodical and well-organised manner. Much of the food will "be cooked at the camp cookhouses. Those items which have been cooked or partly cooked at the Wellington Meat Export Works at Ngahauranga will be heated up by the camp cooks. The waitresses , will, as already stated, be lady volunteers. To each hutment of 60 men at Trentliam there will be six waitresses. There are six tables in each hutment, —three in each half—and ten men will sit at each. So that each waitress will have to attend to ten men sitting at one table. But in the usual order of things, out of every ten men, two are mess orderlies; they carry the food from the cook-houses and dry stores, and place them on the table. On Thursday, each lady will have two soldier assistants, who will be adepts at the art; of waiting upon soldiers. As one soldier put it yesterday, when discussing the dinner, the mess orderlies will be ablo to do the hard work of the waiting while the ladies give ii) the finishing touches. ( Night Attack. The night attack, which was to have been carried out by the Ninth Infantry on Friday night, and which was postponed owing to the rain, will be held one night this week. The force will be divided, the defenders proceeding to a selected bivouac. Tho attackers will endeavour to surprise, the defending . party, ■