CAMPS AND THE MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2744, 12 April 1916, Page 6

CAMPS AND THE MEN

FEATHERSTON IMPROVEMENTS

CAMP YARNS

Steady progress is being made with tho new buildings in course of erection at Featherston (Jamp. Tho additional hospital' lias been weather-boarded, and tho roof is on, and other buildings, including nursos' quarters and cookhouses, are well under way. Tho incinerators, built according to plans prepared by Captain M'Cristell, formerly camp quartermaster at Xreutham, are in daily usej all garbage being conveyed to them in specially-constructed iron carts. A 45 horse-power Thornycroft lorry is another addition to the camp equipment, and is used to distribute stores throughout the camp, from the railway station. The work of ploughing up the main road within the camp precincts, with a view to metalling ana drowning it is going forward. Whether the road surface will b© tarred or not Iras not yet been decided. Camp Yarns. The quaint ways of new sentries and recruits provide many amusing incidents in the camps. Recently a sergeant of the guard told a sentry to look out for a brigadier-general who was to visit the camp. 'When he saw the officer he was to warn the sergeant Hut the, sentry could not distinguish officers' uniforms, and the brigadier came right up to the sentry without the man even saluting. "Don't you know who I am?" said the brigadier-general. "No, 6ir," replied the sentry. "I'm the brigadier-general!" "Oh, are you:' ' Well, your luck's in. The sergeant's just been asking for you. You'll hnd him 111 the guard-room. Another soldier was before the commandant when the defaulters were being dealt with. After hearing the evidence the commandant said:

. "Would you prefer me to deal with your case, or go before a court-mar-tial?"

"Well, lieutenant," the soldier said, "I don't know much about court-mar-tials. What's the difference?"

"A court-martial can give you six years," the commandant .explained, "and-1 can give y0u.48 hours." "You'll'do mo, sir," the soldier declared. "You'll do me all my life." Yet another direction in which the rawness of a soldier may be manifested is when he is chosen as an orderly for the day, in the officers' or n.c.o.'s mess. Some get nervous. Others, such as ships' stewards, are quite at home. One of the former, when a rush .of orders confused him, rushed to the pantry door and shouted, "Thirty-nine sweets, .and hurry up." \ •_ In the case of a steward the joke was on his side. . Approaching some burly sergeants, he said: "Consomme or potageP" "Can what?" roared a sergeant. "Very good, sir," replied the steward, and to the pantry he shouted, "Roast beef, one." The diner was too overcome to remonstrate, and merely glared. When a sergeant handed a plate of beef back to the orderly because it was burnt a little,'the man was.annoyed. But he took the order for mutton quite cheerfully. Returning with the mutton he banged the plate on the table, 'and said cheerily: "There y'are. Got that into your inside, and see how you feel." But tho gem, of them all-was a mid-dle-aged man who loaded himself wiffi several plates of beef and mutton, and advanced into the mess, crying: "Who wants beef, and who wants mutton?" It was certainly a rapid way of filling the diners' wants. x -

■ajuetujuioddv 189J8.T Lieut. J. O. Allen and 2nd Lieut. W. G. Wood have arrired at Trentham and have been posted to the 17th Infantry. At Trentham, Major J. Mounsey, M.R.C., has been appointed Camp Quartermaster, vice Captain T. M'Cristell, N.Z.S.C., transferred to Headquarters as assistant quartermaster-general. The following temporary appointments have been approved by the Camp Commandant at Featherston:—Lce.Ccrpl. R. Dossett, Lce.-Corpl. J. A. Hansen,. Lce.-Corpl. J. L. Willocks, Lce.-Corpl. D. Home, Lce.-Corpl. W. J. Leith, Lce.-Corpl. J. Lce.Corpl. J; D. M'Neil, D Company, 13th, to be corporals 1 ; Pte. 11. V. Kelly, Pto. W. G. M'Dowcll, Pte. C. S. Taylor, Pte. V. O'Driscoll, Pte. T. K. Fisher, Pte. A. Robertson, Pte. A. Ross, Pte. L. G. GcrdouJ Pte. A. J. Lindsay, D Company, 13th, to be lance-corporals; LceCorpl. T. L. Lee, Lce.-Corpl. K. C. Murton, Lce.-Corpl. F. H. Cottle, A Company, 13th, to be corporals; Pte. E. A. M'Douald, Pte. R, 0. M'Cowan, Pte. H. Price, Pte. V. R.. Rawlins, Pte. W. B. Mossman, A Company, 13th, to be lance-corporals; Pte. D. G. Poad, Pte. J. T. Hollard, Pte. A\. J. Johnston, Headquarters Power House, to be corporals; Pte. A. J. Russell, C Company, 13th, to be corporal; Pte. P. O'Malley, Headquarters Camp Commandant's Office, to be corporal; Pte. R. D. Leatham, Headquarters Q.M. Stores, to be quartermaster-sergeant. (Signal Service) ; Shoeing-smith L. L. Quaife, 14th M R., to be shoeing-smitb r . corporal; shoeing-smith Corpl. S. L. Goodin, 14th Mounted Rifles, to be farrier-sergeant; Ccrpl. I'. Watson, H .Company, 12th, to be sergeant; Lce.-Corpls. R. ■J. Harvey, L. H. Chapman, M..0. Creaney, G. E. Fletcher, H Company, 12th, to be corporals; Lce.-Corpls. S. R. Barton, F Gaulding, C. Miller, H. G. Moffey, C.W..Bright, J. R. Hanna, V. B. Stagpcole, G Companv, to be corporals; Pto. F W. Goodson, D Company, 13th', to be Orderly Room clerk; Pte. M'Farlane, Headquarters Staff-Sergeants' Mess, to be corporal; Pte. J. Flynn, 14th M.R., to 'he 6hoeing-smith corporal. Soldiers' snapshots developed and printed at Bagley's Pharmacy, Fcathcreton. All photographic supplies at city prices.—Advt.