CAMPS AND THE MEN

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2776, 20 May 1916, Page 6

CAMPS AND THE MEN

SPORTS AT FEATHERSTON

GENERAL NOTES

The military display and athle,tic sports meeting,- held on. the eastern parade ground on Saturday afternoon last, was a great suocess. The exhibition spiral inarch, of tho mounted rifles was a capital display,'and reflected great credit'on the chief mounted instructor. All the mili. tary items, mounted alarm race, battery night alarm, ! gun drill, and infantry sguad competitions were keenly contested, and the performances of the winning teams were of high standard. The athletic events attracted very large entries, including several New Zealand champions and one New, Zealand Marathon race representative. '.Che prize-list is as follows:—

Field Artillery Alarm—Sergt. Howe, 1 j Corpl. Clarke, 2. JW) Yards Flat Race.—Pto. Black, 1; Pte. Buckeridge, 2; Sergt. Hansen, 3. iiilo Walk.—l to. Mac Donald, 1; Re. Green, 2; Pte .'i'opp, 3. JJ<vng Jump.—Pte. Hanson, 1; Pte. Finlay, 2; Pte. Matthews, 3. ■HO Yards Plat' Race.— Sergt. Seay, 1; Pte. Robertson, 2; Pto. Wilson, 3.

Sack Hace.—Pte. Johnson, 1; Pte. Thomas, 2.

Infantry Squad Competitions.—l4th Mounted Rifles, 1; J Company, 14th, 2. High Jump—Sergt.-Major Robinson, lj Sergt. Hansen, 2; Ptes. Anderson and Kope, dead-heat, 3. Putting the Shot.—Tpr. Ranlan. 1; Tpr. Duncan,.2. ■ ■ One Mile Plat Race.-H. P. Baylen, 1; Corpl. Beck, 2; Pte. Wood, 3. Half-mile Belay Race.—l6th Mounted Hides, 1; 14th Infantry, 2. ' • bugle Competition.—Bugler Smith. 1) Bugler Partridge', 2. _ , Signalling Competition—Pte. Gordon, 1; Pte. Hardy, 2. . . Hop, Step, and Jump.—Sergt. Hansen, 1; Pte. Finlay, 2. ' Tug-o'-war. —16th Mounted, 1; 13th F. Artillery, 2. _ Trumpet Competition—Tmptr. W<x>'lev, 1; Tmptr. Donnell, 2. Cock-fighting.—M'Coid and Jordan, lj Beck and Matthews, 2. Mounted Alarm Race.-Sorgt. Sutherland, 1; Lce.-Corpl. Fraser; 2. Bandsmen's Race.—Pte. Ritchie, lj Pte. Bush. 2; Pte. Webb, 3. Gun Drill Competition—Corpl. Clarkes team, 1; Sergt. Cotterill'6 team, 2. Officers' Race.—Lieut. Hogg, 1; Lieut. The Camp Commandant (Lieiit.-Colonel Adanis) very much regrets that owing to the, hurried arrangements, time did not permit of invitations being sent to the general public, especially tho local patriotic societies and others who have done so much for the soldiers in Featherston Camp. .Thirteenth Infantry.

The Thirteenth Infantry Reinforcements were engaged in night operations at Mangaroa on Thursday night, when the usual outpost work and attack at dawn were carried out. Tho early part o£ the night was clear and fine, but towards morning rain and fog caiue on,'making the operations less easy of execution than would have, been, the case iii fine weather. The troops, which were under Lieutenant-Col-onel C. R. Macdonald, returned to Trentlium Camp early yesterday morning. The Thirteenth have -completed their advanced musketry, aud nest week they will go through*- a course of trencli warfare in the trenches at Trentha-m.

Machine Guns at Papawai, There is 110 riile range at Featherston Camp, all the shooting being done at Papawai, several miles- away. During Wednesday, the machine-gun, section, jinder Major Batten, was engaged .in training and target practice at the range. All possible field conditions under which machine guns are likely to be used were observed, and the exercises and firing proved most instructive, as well as interesting, to the officers and men. ; Officers' Club. The .'necessity [for ah. Officers'.'.Club'at. ■Featherston, which, .was referred, to by tbe Minister 6f 'Defence,the Hon. James Allen, when ■ addressing the visiting' •politicians to the camp in the Soldiers' Club, has ..been felt by tho officers for somo time. Except for tbeir cubicles and messroom officers have no place of rest and recreation, such as that provided in such profusion for tho soldiers. 'In tho camps officers have a busy tinie; 'they are always "on deck," ready for any emergency, as weir as being always kept busy, with regimental and company administration. The proposed club lyill be welcomed when it materialises. The "Grouser." He was a "grouser," and he started grousing early. "Full in, in two ranks, you. men," said a camp sergeant, as the squad of recruits got' off the train. The grouser was the first man' in the second rank, counting from the left. The sergeant was just about to explain to the men Jiow to "form fours," when lie heard the .'grouser muttering. "What's iliat that man says ?" "I say I ought to be in the front rank," said the grouser. •• "Why? - "'Cos I know me drill." "Oh," said the sergeant, wlio had a sense of humour," very well. Squad, about turn. Now, where are you ?" he asked the recruit, when tho slrafflinp feet were, still. "I'm here," answered the grouser, in a loud voice, "and-I want you: to remember that I'm hero 'cos Bill Jl'assey invited' rile. Sac!" Tho sergeant snu'wl, and gave the order to form fours and turn to the right. The grouser was still in, the front rank- But the recruits were facing away from the camp, though the grouser didn't know it. "All right, your" asked the.sergeant. "Yes, I'm all right," tho grouser grinned. ...

"S|iw.l, ,al<cut turn: Quick march l Left-left " 'l'he grouser was in the rear rank of all. When the rough shingle of the camp was reached, lie lagged a little. But the sergeant pounced oil 1 him with: "Pick it up! Pick it up! Don't fall behind! ' "Aw," snarled the grouser, "What's up? I aiu't Desert Gold." He was a true grouser. ' Appointments at Featherston, The following temporary appointments have been approved by the Camp Commandant at Featherston. G Company, 15tb.—To be corporals, Lance-Corporals C. R. Tovey, R. G. Williams, E. W. Tappenden, F. E. Thompson, J. It. Sturge. Ci Company, 15th.—T.i be lance-cor-porals: Ptes. G. R. Wooding, P. Morland, E. T. Dillon, D. J. Preece, R. J. Fifield, IC. C. Pegg, F. H. Hart. Driver J. Alexander, 14th, N.Z.A.S.C., to be lance-corporal; Pto. Harold Shepherd, H Company, 14th, to be corporal; Corpl. C. Courtney, 14th Reinforcements, Infantry Specialist C'ompany'(Signallers), to be sergeant; Corpl. E. H. Sutherland, 15th Reinforcements, H.R. Specialist Company (Signallers), to be, sergeant; Corpl. Or. S. Marston, Headquarters (Signalling Section), to be sergeant, and to be 'assistant to instructor of signalling. . Ptes. R. E. Hepworth and W. J. R. Hooking), Headquarters Recorus Office, to'be sergeants; Drivers A. W. A. Richardson and R. Henderson, 10th N.Z.A.S.C., to be driver-farriers. General ltoms. Lieut. J. G. W. Salt, Permanent Establishment, N.Z.A.S.C., has . reported at Featherston Camp for duty. The following officers have exchanged transfers as under:—2nd Lieut. -Bristol, from C Company, 14th, to Reserve Company; 2nd Lieut. Thomas,- from Reserve Company to C Company, Hth; 2nd Lieut. J. H. Irving, from- R-esorve Company to A Company, 14th; 2nd Lieut. Ramsay, from A Company, 14th,. to Reserve Company. . . . •The Cam]) Commandant at Featherston has awarded the Challenge Cup for the best-kept huts and lines to D Company) 15th, huts 7Si, SI, 82, 83. 84, 80, 91, and 98, for the week ending May 20. The following returned soldiers have been posted to 13th M.R.:—Corpl W. I Reid, Vie. B. M'Kay, Pie. R. G. Scott, Lancc-Corpl. W. H. Johns, and Pte. W. J. Price.