OVER THE HILL

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3035, 23 March 1917, Page 6

OVER THE HILL

TWENTY-FOURTHS MARCHING

A FINE SIGHT

The Twenty-fourth Infantry Reinforcements, under Major Murphy, marched from Featherston to Kaitoko yesterday, en route to Trentham, where they will arrive on Saturday morning. Lieutenant-Colonel C. It. Macdonald, Chief Infantry Instructor, was" in charge of the column, and marched at the head all tho way. LieutenantColonel N. P. Adams, Camp Commandant at Featherstoii", and Chaplain-Cap-tain Peat marolied to the top of the hill. The Twenty-fourths have their own band, which came right through through with them, and .played them on their way. At the top of tho hill ladies of the Featherston committee of the Wairarapa Patriotic Society provided tea and other refreshment'!.

The weather was fine and hot, and tho troops marched out of camp at 9 o'clock in the following orderA Company, Captain Potter; B Coy., Lieut. I)uffy; C Coy., Major. Murj>hy; D Coy., Lieut. Hayman; E Coy., Lieut. Henry; F Coy., Lieut. Kidd; G Coy., Lieut. Stark; H Coy., Lieut. Lochie; J Coy., Lieut. Robertson. The pull up ths hill was felt more than usual owing to tho hot weather, but the Twentyfourths did well, and not a man foil oi?fc of the 1800 in the draft. The Summit was reached at about 12.45, and after a halt the march was resumed at 2 p.m.. A largo number ol ladies were at the Summit, and when the troops moved off with the band playing, they gave tjie soldiers a hearty send-off; the men cheered them m return, and swung out of sight, singing to the tune which the band was playing; - - .

A train of eight A.S.C. wagons, im r der Lieut. Standish, had left Featherston_ on the previous day, carrying a portion, of the soldiers' gear, which was left at the bivouac at Collie's Farm. Yesterday the wagons cams on to K.aitoke, antl picked up the soldiers' kits, and toot them to the bivouac. The advance party had everything ready when the troops came into view at 3.30, and there was every prospect of the Twenty-fourths.spending a comfortable, night in bivouac. ' The column made a. fine sight as it swung round the curve on' the rise, beyond the farm, and wound down to the straight stretch of road. " The brass and silver instruments of tlie band flashed in the sunlight, and a familiar red flag made a bright spot of colour. • The band was playing "The Long, Long Trail," and the troops' stepped out in good style. Brown was the prevailing colour note ;in the picture. The brown of khaki, ; bronzed faces, hands, and legs, and the. yellow brown of the hills. When the band reached the gate of the farm it wheeled " aside,. and played the troops into bivouao. A motor-car, in which wero the Camp Commandant of Trentham, Lieutenant-Colonel H. R. Potter, the P.M.0., Lieutenant-Colonel Andrews, and the' Camp Quartermaster, Major Mounsey arrived at the moment, and the troops came to the "present" as they passed, and turned into their bivouac. Altogether, the sight presented by the Twenty-fourths as they marched "in was a splendid one. The empty ambulance, in charge of Captain Thomson, N.Z.M.C., which followed the column, was' a tribute to the hardiness of the troops. The ambulance from Trentham, in charge of Captain Cairns, was already on tho spot, and it, also, returned to Trentham,, after leaving Captain Cairn? and a chiropodist, without any soldier-patients as passengers. The Twenty-fourths'. will' march to Upper Hutt this morning, and go out over the Mangaroa hills this evening for field manoeuvres. The good spirits of the men and their fitness were neticeable features of the marcji.