A CLEAN CAMP

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2856, 22 August 1916, Page 6

A CLEAN CAMP

SEVENTEENTHS AT TRENTHAM NO ROUTE MARCH Hie Seventeenth Infantry Reinforcements arrived at Trentham by rail from Featherston, in sunny, windy weathor, yesterday afternoon. The usual maroh over the Hill was dispensed with, owing partly to the unsettled weatner, and also because it was necessary for the troops to vacato their quarters at Featherston at short notice, so as to allow the recruits for the Twentieth Reinforcements to be mobilised ,at that camp. The Seventeenths duly. returned! from their extended leave on Sunday. The order to transfer to Trentham came aB a surprise to the men when they arrived at Featherston on Sunday evening; but they took tho news cheerfully, and it was in the same spirit that they detrained at Trentham, and, with their kits on their shoulders, marched from tho station to their quarters in tho hutments that had been prepared for them. Dust In Trentham. It may seem strange "to thoso who regard Trentham as a muddy place, but the first detachment of the Seventeenths raised dust as they marched along 'thp main camp road at 3 o'clock yesterday. The wind had dried up all the roadways, and, except for a puddle or two, there was no mud in the camp, and even on the parade grounds, which ar© not metalled, tho wind and sun had exercised a drying influence. Before tho Seventeenths entered the camp it was truly a desorted place. The streets were empty, most of tho doors of tho hutments were closed, though the windows were open, no riound of rifles came from tho ranges, nor of training from the * parade grounds. ' But there was a feeling of cleanliness everywhere, due to the clean appearance of the camp, the fresh wind'and bright sunshine. Tho arrival of the troops restored somo of .'the former busy appearance of the camp. Clean Quarters. ' Tho hutments, which are now occupied by the senior draft of the Seventeenths, were open. On each ' was chalked tho letter indicating the company ■ which was to occupy it. Tlieso hutments, in common with tho others in the camp, were spotlessly dean, and tho walls had been newly whitewashed. During the week's closing of tho camp every building in it had beon ! fumigated and scrubbed out—even the private-ly-owned shops had been treated in this way—an'd the men of the Seventeenths seemed well satisfied to be back in Trentham.'• Tho draft travelled in three detachments, the , last to arrive at Trentham reaching thero about dusk. Tlioy will continuo their advanced infantry training there, and later on will go through their advanced musketry and trench warfare training.