EQUAL TO ANY

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2780, 26 May 1916, Page 6

EQUAL TO ANY

THIRTEENTH REINFORCEMENTS

1 ..The Chief of the General Staff, Colonel C. M. Gibbon, . addressed the Thirteenth Infantry and Engineers Reinforcements : at I'rentham yesterday afternoon on the duties, of soldiers in' camp. and in, the field, and commented on the various 'arni3 comprised in'the draft, and on the draft as a whole.

Colonel Gibbon said that the Mounted Rifles had had a longer time in training than any previous draft, and had. shown good.results from this extended period of training. Ho hoped- they would show even better results in the future. '

The -Artillery and Engineers had both .. done very well in camp. '• The Artillerj v had had • more opportunity of carrying goat'practice' with live shell than had. earJyiier drafts, and the 'Engineers...had beenv. given- more opportunities for the techni-.-.ciir part of their training. ; '•I'he Infantry were a good lot. " Their v .opportunities, as regards, weather, ..had v-been all in their favour up to. the time ; ; .of their march across the ltimutaka Hill, in. some ways, but fortun- . ately in -others, they-had had bad weather ■ since then, though it . had, given them a ' chance to show a proper spirit l in meet- ■ : tag the hardships of a soldier's - life, {•■ft'heir musketry, was. very satisfactory; ■ ./they had beaten all records except that • or the Twelfth. ', Colonel Gibbon added ' that he was not sure: that the adverse feather: during the period'in which the • troops fired their course, was not entirely -responsible for, the; fact 'that ' they did "/rot equal the performance of the Twelfth, '.'XJ Company - was the best in musketry. (The draft. as ; a whole had made good . lise of the time in camp, and when they to the- front "he- expected .: them to - Hio\v" good results from their training. "Since the last Reinforcements left," laid Colonel Gibbon, "it has been publicly announced ' that-the New Zealanders ;!Bre in/France. : .They will be .fighting nlongside, l ndt :, only-fthe.British l : troops, V.toit.tfiflse of our Allies. .'■ You go to take- ; -jmrt in . the biggest battle of all, which .. >'ill probably decide the war. To take part in that, discipline is more important ...than anything else." .. " Colonel Gibbon reminded the troops of the three points emphasised'by. General .., Sir W. Birdwood- to. the Auzacs, when they were to be transferred to France. . : : 'First was. the. soldierly : spirit; there was - 3ui doubt that in the! Thirteenths this ■ ■ iwiui no less in evidence than, ia previous -.drafts.. The second point was training* ;sThe. training staffs here had done their ' 'best to ."raise the standard of training " with each succeeding draft of men. He ''-hojjed; that in the test of battle this • training would prove to be 6ound. Discipline was tFte third point referred to by . "General ,Birdwood. This was the most .".'important, for without discipline, the fighting troops in the world would fan,at the last,, to achieve success. ; a "There, you have the opinion . of a . Wan whom we all value very .highly," Colonel Gibbon. "He says you ./ must have discipline. You may have all the other qualities, but they are of no " avail v.-ithout discipline, it is not a • 'thing that you can neglect to-day and ~ learn to-morrow. You cannot say iyou ... ..can have discipline whenever you want '.J. it J jou must make iip your minds to at- ... . tain that quality which is going to give you a definite advantage over your :.. enemy. • ... "I want you to make tip your minds to get to the front. You have been trained : :,.. at the country's repense, and it is up to you to iret into the firing-line in France, - . and we'll hope, in Germany." . Colonel Gibbon touched on the import- • ance of- the men avoiding all avoidable sickness, or anythin* else which would • -'.-prevent them reaching the front, and -cause tKeinlo occupy beds in hospitals • • which Here intended for wounded men. ■ - On the matter of saluting, he mentioned -that tho French were very particular. ; --.He understood that General Joffre had 'issued very strict'orders regarding snlut- -"' lug. New Zealanders would not want. - to hear the French say. "They can fight, but they have no discipline." In conclusion, Colonel Gibbon urged ' ' 'the men to uphold tho good name of tho ." "Anzocs. i-iid raise the military- honour ''of New Zealand even higher still; and • he wished them good luck and the good .fortune to join the fighting forces at tho -'earliest possible moment.