CAMPS AND THE MEN.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2669, 14 January 1916, Page 7

CAMPS AND THE MEN.

N.C.O.'S APPOINTED ; CITY TERRITORIAL ENCAMPMENT MILITARY NEWS At Trentham the following temporary appointments have been made: —. Headquarters Staff (Comiriandant's Office).—Pte. C. Watts, to be corporal. G Company, 11th Reinforcements. Ptes. E. F. Thomas, J. J. Doro, J. Casey, H. Rigby, T. Smith, A. G. Douthett, J. H. Pullen, to be corporals; Ptes. J. Spenco, N. Smith, F. G. Nelson, to be lance-corporals. E Company, 11th Reinforcements.— Pte. J. Grant, to be 6ergeant; Pte. B. Hollis, to be corporal; Ptes. A. F. Cates, A. T. Hale. H. Job, C.'B. Shuri, B. Anderson, to De lance-corporals. / i The following temporary promotions at Rangiotu camp have been approved: 1 J. Organ, C. Spriggs, to be-sergeants, D Company; Corpls. T. 11. B. Macky, I. Patterson, D Company, to be lance-sergeants;, LanceCorpls. B, G. Dowiiie, H. 'Turner, J. B. Day, W. Thomson, D Company, to be ' corporals; Lance-Corpl. J. B. Crabbe. B Company, to be corporal; Lance-Corpl. T. M. M'Nabb, C Company, to be corporal; Rflmn. A, Demp6ey, J. A. Ileid, C Company, to be lancecorporals; ltHmn. F. N. Duriken, D. Da.venport, W. M'Culloch, J. P. W. Payne, D Company, to be lance-cor-porals. Officers for the Training Grounds. The following" officers have reported at Trentham for duty:—Lieut. 1?>. J. G. Palmer, 13th Reinforcements; Second Lieut. F. E. Ashby,' B Company, 12tli; Second Lieut. H. N. Clapliam, E Company, 12th; Second Lieut. R. M. Goldsman, 11th;, Second Lieut. W. G. Gibbs, B Company, 12th; Q.M.S. W. Bates, N.Z.P.S. " .Captain D. E. Cardale, N.Z.S.C., has returned to Tauherenikau from sick leave, and has reported for duty. Military Staff Changes. Major J. E. Barton, N.Z.S.C., formerly A.Q.M.G., Aucklandl Military District, has been appointed' general staff officer for the district in succession to Major J. E. Duigan, N.Z.S.C., who is in command of the Engineer Tunnelling Corps. . Captain H. L. D. G. Garland, formerly assistant general staff officer, has been appointed A.Q.M.G. for the trictCaptain G. C. S. Dyer, N.Z.S.C., formerly group commander at Whangarei, ■ has been transferred to district headquarters, the position of O.C. Group in the north having been filled by the appointment of Lieut. E. T. llowllings.

Leave for N.Z.M.C, Men. • A district order states tliat' all returned n.c.o.'s and men of the New Zealand Medical Corps (N.Z:E.F.) will be granted leave for three days, at the expiration of which they will report themselves at Awapuni Camp, Palmerston North, for instructions (says the Christchurch "Press"). Free ' rail and steamer passes will be issued from port of disembarkation to their homes, and also from tlieir homes to Awapuni Oamp. On arrival they will be absorbed, in the. camp establishment/, and will return to Egypt as ordinary reinforcements, or -may be disposed of as the D.G.M.S. may direct. The above does not .refer to members of the N.Z.M.C. who. may have been invalided, arid are given sick .leave, although such men null be taken on the strength of t'ho camp when fit for duty. < 1

Tha Territorial Camp. ! .The annual camp for city and suburban Territorial troops was to have been held at ICarori on February 18, but there is some doubt now as to the matter of date. It is possible the camp may not be commenced till March. There is a strong feeling in the Wai:arapa (says our Masterton correspondent) that TerritoriaP camps should not oe held this yesr. Mr. G. It. Sykes, M.P., has written the Minister of Defence on the subjcct, and has been advised that the matter is under consideration. The Auckland Farmers' Union yesterday passed a resolution, protesting against any proposal to hold local Territorial camps this year or during the wtr. The mover of the motion said that recruiting for the front had been a heavy' drain on tho labour availablo for industry. _ The motion 'read as follows: "That in order to free men for active servicc the Auckland Farmers' Union is of opinion that the Government should forego local Territorial camps during tho period of the war."— Press Association.

Allowances Stopped. 'At a meeting'of the executive of tho Citizens' Defence Corps, Chrisfcchurch, it was decided that, owing to lack of funds, all advances to men on leavo from Trent-ham would have to bo stopped. So far tho corps has advanced tnonoy to upwards of 200 men. It.has been found that many men came south under the impression that they could obtain money due to them- at tile local Defence Office. The fact that no such arrangement is made has caused a good deal of inconvenience, and the decision 1 that'tho corps has been forced to come to will (it is considered) go hardly with some of the men. Wellington Rifle Meeting. The annual prize meeting of the city Group Rifle Association will bo held at Trentham on Saturday afternoon. Upwards of 200 entries have been received. Five matches will be fired, and upon the aggregates of these the group championships Territorial and Senior Cadets) and Territorial teams, and Senior Cadet teams matches will be decided. The winner of the Territorial championship will ho entitled to hold the old Volunteer Championship Belt' for one'year, and the winner of the Senior Cadet Competition the Young Soldiers' Cup. The railway arrangements are announced by advertisement this morning. Lieutenant C. W. ilellor, Drill Hall, Buckle Street, is secretary for the meeting. Selection of Hospital Ship Men. The manner in which the staffs of hospital ships arc selected does not appear to be generally known (savs the "Otago Daily Times"). Men cannot sign on expressly for the hospital ship. They must sign on as ambulance men in the ordinary way, and the authorities dispose of them as they think fit. If they are considered suitable for hospital ship work they may ' be among those picked for that' purpose, though tho selection is made without reference to thfem. If they are not picked, they go to camp and to the front as ambulance men in the ordinary way. It' has happened on more than one occasion that a. man who has enlisted in tho ambulance with an eye on a hospital ship his become very indignant at not being picked for that purpose. Such indigmtion is unjustifiable mid useless. Primarily a man is a soldier, and he must take his chance of getting on a hospital ship. Very many men aro aixious to do so, apparently under the "soft snap" to go astnedical orderly or something similar or, a ship. They are mistaken. Ibis very had work. That hospital ship staffs an liable to transfer to camgs aud to

the ordinary ambulance corps is shown by tho fact that the staff of tho Malieno has been removed from the ship and transferred to tho ambulance. As soon as their three weeks' leave expires, tho men who returned on t'lio Maheno will liavo to go into camp at Trentham.