TERRITORIAL CAMP

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 122, 9 February 1918, Page 12

TERRITORIAL CAMP

ANNDAL TRALNIMG AT KARORI Territorials of the stli (Wollington) Regiment and other units w'cat into camp at Xnrori Park at tile end of I last week, and they will complteu to- i day the week's training required of j them by the present regulations. The camp will bo continued until February 26 in order that "casuals," that is, Territorials who have been unable to attend during the first week, may take their course. During this week 410 officers and men have been in the camp, representing the following units: —6th (Mauawatu) Mounted ilirles (Lieutenant A. Smith), No. 4 Field Company (Wellington) New Zealand Engineers (Lieutenant P. C. Watt), Divisional Signallers, oth (Wellington) Pegiment (Captain T. W. Slinn), and No. 3 Company (Wellington) Army Service Corps. The camp commandant is Major W. Simm, sth Regiment. The camp is beino; devoted solely to recruit training, and the men present include a considerable number of eighteen-year-old youths who have been having their first experience of Territorial work, and who may bo required later for the Expeditionary Force. ;Tlio training has ben of nature that will serve as an introduction to the training given in the Expeditionary Force camps. Officers have be.en put through a refresher course, under stalf instructors, and tbey have also done much work in the instruction of recruits. One of the features of the work this year is the insistence upon the full training being given to all ranks. There have been no idle officers or'men in the camp, and the fatigues to be performed by Territorials have been reduced to a minimum in order that there may be no waste of the time of the men who have been called together for training. Orders on this point were issued by General Headquarters some time ago. "The practice of permitting a rargc number of . all,ranks to escape training by unnecessary fatigues, guards, and other duties in camp, and of allowing officers' servants and mess orderlios to remain off all parades, must be stopped" ran the instruction. "Permanent duties m camp which prevent a soldier from attending parades (such as cooks and sanitary men) must be filled by trained soldiers. One officer's servant only should be allowed to remain off parade, who will be responsible for all the officers' tents, and all mess orderlies with the exception of those absolutely necessary, should attend every parade. In one camp recently," the order added, "it was found that over fifty men were idling in camp during tinining hours. In a well-organised battalion oi a thousand men the maximum numboi of soldiers allowed off parade for canit duties would be under twenty. Tc allow untrained soldiers to escape training in this manner is most repiehensible." The Director of Military Training Lieut.-Colon'el J. L. Slcenwn, I.G.S. inspected the camp on Thursday. He was accompanied by Colouel J. E Hume (Officer Commanding the Wet lington Military District), Colouel G, F. C. Campbell (Coast Defence Coininander), and Major S. G. Sandle R.N.Z.A., Staff Officer. After maiciu E a thorough inspection of the camp ant watching the mon at work, Lieut.Colonel Sleeman briefly addressed tin units at the assembly parade. Ue sak that the 'work they had been doiuj was very satisfactory, but they had ; !long way to go before they reached tin standard of efficiency demanded of sol diers in these days of war. Officers I non-commissioned officers, and mei ! must pull together in order to malo j the Territorial Army worthy of it ' association with the New Zealand Ex

peditionary Force. They must- do their best to improve - the disciplino and to live up to the traditions that were being established for them by their comrades at the front. Addressing the officers, the Director of Military Training emphasised the , importance of the refresher course. It, was essential that an officer should keep in close touch with the elomeni tavy training that was the foundation jof 'military efficiency. The time has ' passed when an officer could merely ' give an order and leave his non-coms. '■ to see that it was obeyed correctly. ; The modern officer had to lie a highly ; skilled expert and a successful hibuucI tor, and in order to fit his men ior war ;ho had to be able to impart 1 .0 them i the knowledge that he himself had ac- ! quired. It had been a rule of the old ■ Imperial Army that an officer '.mist go 1 back periodically to where he had he- - i gun, and pass through the whole course ■I of training. The war had proved the • j soundness of the rule. _ ' ' The camp staff comprises:—Ump : Commandant, Major W. Simm, sth , (Wellington) Reeimont; Camp Adi jutant/Captain T. Davis, Reserve of ■ Officers; Camp Quartermaster, Captain i C K Gasquoine, oth (Wellington) ■ Eegimeiit; Camp 0..J1.5., Quartermas"!ter S. F. J. Bowkcr; Camp Scrgeant- , ' Major, Sergeant-Major (W. 0.) T. Co - j " ling Instructors: Lieutenants J. ! Thompson (infantry) and. A. J- king 3 ; (musketry), Sergeant-Mapr QA.O.) i Collins (signalling); feergeant-Major . J. E. Francis, J. S. King, J. Creagh, - D. G. Braik, J. Fraser.