DEFENCE AFFAIRS

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 192, 3 May 1918, Page 7

DEFENCE AFFAIRS

THE TERRITORIAL ARMY ASSISpCE IN WAR TRAINING QUESTIONS ABOUT CAMPS The Defence Expenditure Commission siit again yesterday for the hearing of evidence. ISrigadier-Ueucral Sir Robert Anderson, chairman of tho Commission sat with Jlr. Charles Rhodes. The whole ot the day wius occupied Shearing the evidence of the Chief of the General stall, Colonel Gibbon. Colonel C. M. Gibbon, Chief of the General Staff, since September 3, 1911, BJiidL that ho was a regular soldier of tho British Army, Royal Irish .Fusiliers, and Jie was employed on the Imperial General Staff. Colonel Gibbon gavo a full account of his military record from 1891 '0 date.

, t How Territorials Help. AH nien, he said, irrespective of prewioiis experience other than at tho front during tho present war, had to undergo thu same period of training in our cauvps. The importance of having Ter vitorials in tho ranks with civilian recruits, on coming into camp could not foe ovor-estiniated. Tho experience which the Territorials had had before coming into tho. great training camps has much to do with the rapidity with which tho civilian recruits pick up their .training in camp. The bringing in of tho Territorial recruits separately and training (.hem separately from the civilian re•• emits would forgo a great advantage, jffid would mean an enormous increase in the difficulty of training raw recruits. Training in the Territorial Force could not, during ihe war, be uniform; some Territorials were receiving moro traming than others. Territorials who wcro employed in essential industries were excused largo portions of their training. It would bo impossible to devise a system whereby the Territorial recruits should eomo into camp and each man start at the stago of training which he had attained prior to leaving tho Territorial Force. Such intricate and cumbersome arrangements of training would bo involved that the whole would break down of its own weight. The training in camp should be complete, and should be on a uniform system. Impracticable. In training for the present war, great Btress was laid on the importance of physical training and subsequently of bayonet training. Under the present and past conditions of training iii tho Territorial Foreo it had been impossible to give proper graduated training, in these subjects. If. the recruits from the Territorial Forces wc-ro_ brought into camp later than their civilian comrades, their training would Buffer enormously, to the subsequent deti'iment of efficiency in tho 'trenches at the front. ';'.'hs :nost important subject to which attention was devoted in camp was the inculcation of the spirit of discipline. This really meant in other words the fostering of tho soldierly spirit in a unit-which was made up of men who came in camp at different times. Tho ■present, system of bringing the whole draft into camp at the same tijne had teen productivo of good results, and should not bo abandoned. It would bo impracticable to bring drafts into camp in two sections—Territorial recriiit'3 and Civilian recruits separately. The training staff was too small. He did not consider that there was any reflection on :t!ie Territorial Force. Territorials After the War. It was natural that certain changes 5n the training of the Territorial ;J)'orco must bo considered at the end of tho present, war. Great experience had been obtained by New Zealand troops in this war, and the experience so obtained would not bo thrown away, but would be.made use of when the war ended. It ehould jiot be forgotten , that the Territorial Force scheme was designed to provide the minimum training required for home Ecrvice, and that under conditions which •would givo time to prepare for the inivader. As soon, as the war. was over tuero was no doubt that the Territorial I'orcß system of training must bo revised, but changes could not bo effected during Ihe war. After the war ho would lie . In favour of large camps in which Territorial Force Tecrmts at least would undergo a perioil of four months' training in their eighteenth year. Large camps were undoubtedly more efficient regarding administration and training results. . They ,-wcre ulsomore economical in e*p«ditnre and in personnel required for staff. At. present ho was not prepared to give his opinion as to tho size and location of camps in future. He was ot opinion that it would lie unwise to put torward a Bchemo piecemeal before tho problem bad been studied as a whole. He was 6trongly of opinion that good valuo was obtained from the Territorial Force camps, small as they were, and that the value of the training and disciplino obtained fully justified tha expenditure involved. The Camps.

Colonel Gibbon spoke of his relationship to th'o - management of the camps nt Trentham and Featherston. His relation to the camps, ho said, was a dual

Chief of tho General Staff and us responsible officer in chargo of Trcntliam uud I'eatherston Camps. "IVitlt regard to the Jirat relation," he said, "I uud alt other heads of branchiu aro responsible for the staff work connected with our >:espectivo branches. It is our duty to look ahead, provide for difficulties, and issuo orders on behalt of the G.0.C., as may be necessary from time to time. In regard to the camps, it is important for all staff officers to keep in touch with camps, in ordor that EtaiF work may bo cificiently carried ojit. As Chief of tho General Staff, lam tho staff officer * responsible to tho General Officer Commanding for tho co-ordination of all staff work, which, in tho case of the training camps, has as its object tire handling of reinforcements prior to embarkation. Therefore, all new policy or important, decisions affecting the camps are discussed with me before being finally submitted to the G.O.C. in order that I may give.an opinion as to whether a proposal will affect the work of otner I portions of tho Defence Department or- ! gahisalion. "Jle regards the second relation, it is absolutely essential to have one person., responsible for the training camps, their organisation, and (heir work. As being responsible for the tamps, all important orders affecting organisation, policy, etc., pass-through me. But routine matters are dealt with in direct communication betweon branches at Headquarters and camp commandants. All difficulties tnnt crop up are communicated to nie» and any expressions of ipinion as to mistakes and errors committed by tho camp staffs are taken up with and through mo. I accept full responsibility for the control of the camps.and for the action of the camp staffs and reinforcements. ... In camps, as far as possible, 1 deal villi junior officers only through or in the presence of the Cnroii Commandant or the chief instructor of the arm concerned, but junior officers are never debarred speaking to uio when they want to." •

Using the Material. Replying to a question directly on the point. Colonel Gibbon said that he was satisfied that as far a» mo general staff ii ml the training tamps were concerned the New Zealand staff corps officers under his control were being used to tho best advantage. It must not bo forgotten, however, that many officers who had been designated for general 6taff w.ork after the war were still at tiio front, whero they were learning in che best possible school. Why Two Camps Were Used. He said that so i'ar as training was concerned he would preie'r greatly, that the training of. tho infantry should be carried out at one camp only, and that inter-camp changes thouid not be necessitated, but under Ihe circumstances he did not consider that there was any ipossibility ,of avoiding the exchange or infantry drafts between Trentbam and

Feathorston Camps. Trenthani waii the only cami> w.ith a suitable riflo range, and Trentham Camp ■sraß ' Incapable of containing continuously the number of, men with due regard to all requirements. Nor did ho think iii nreferable alternative to the present system of interchange of drafts between two camps would bo to locate onu draft entirely at Trentham Camp and the next draft entirely at Featherston There was no range accommodation at I'eatborston, and it. would be 'difficult io provide a range with enough targets. 'file keeping of one draft at Trentiiam and the next at Featherston would lead to discontent among tiie nion at I'eatherston, because they would not bo able to have leave, to como to Wellington so often, flat the most important factor to bo considered in connection with tho questidn of inter-camp moves is that such moves tend to maintain health in tbo camps, and to stamp out disease. This was the medical opinion, and in view of that opinion. ho hud continued Hio present system, and did not consider that a cnaujji) would be advisable. . Those Quartermaster-Seraeants. A question was asked of the witness regarding thirty quartermaster-sergeants who were said to havo arrived from military training grounds abroad a few weelw ago. Was it true tlmt they were being sent back at onco, without having been given an opportunity to instruct others here, and leaving behind them men who could do siiailnr work on board transports, but who had never been, away at all?

Colonel fiibbon said that up till thn present non-commissioned officers had boon selected from tho reinforcements and trained. On urrival at Sling Camp quartermaster-sergeants v'ere not reciuireil for work as quartermaster-sergeants, find as they were found to l>6 verv rusty in training work, they had usually been reverted (o the tank of private. On this being reported to New Zealand it was considered that not only was it hard on tliD n.c.o.'e concerned, but also that there was useless effort and expense involved in training men especially for these administrative duties. Accordingly, in June, 1917, request was niade to X.Z.E.F. Headquarters in London that suitable men Tie sent ont to act , as pormanont quartermaster-sergeants. Some of them had already gone back with drafts, and the idea was that they should come back with returning drafts of eol(liora coming back in transports. On arrival here again they tcouVl be again posted to companies. Leave from Camp. The chairman and Mr. Rhodes both argued at length 'with Colonel C4ibbori about tho amount of leave given to men

m camp. Their submission was that so imicli leave was given tlmt in effect tho leave out off a nioiitli from the. men's period of limning, and Hint if the men were iill'oned to remain a month longer in civilian life Uμ) training period would bo shortened and much expense, saved. Colonel Gibbon's reply was to iho effect that it was a good thins to givo tho men lcavo and let them nut of camn now and then—it kept them contented. Ho thought aloo tlmt it vrus a, guod thing io have tho training spread <vcr ri long period. Officers' Pay. Tho chairman drew attention to many anomalies hi the salaries of «.-llicors. witii tho object of showing that ollicers in camps received more pay than officers outside, and that rank seemed to give little indication of tho amount of salary paid to tho officer. Captains sometimes receiver more than mujoits, i.ml majors more than liuiitciiaiib-uuLoucls,'end many oilicors who had not scon service received more than officers higher ii. rank and with war service. Colonel Gibbon said that ho admitted that thoro wore anomalies; tho difficulty was to straighten things out witnout cngouderiug discontent. Jt was -not hie affair iu any case. Ho did not fix or grant rales of pay, although ho might on occasion b<l consulted. The chairman suggested thai; the Minister of Dcfenco would bo very much surprised to hear oi them. .Some of the. salaries were very, very high for the class oi duties the men were required to do. Sling and New Zealand. Olhor witnesses had nuggasteri that the administrative methods of tho camps were cumbersome, and that this made | for inefficiency. Colotiol Gibbon did not agree with this, nor did lio agree with the statement that a emiiller 'amp stall riiid personnel were employed at Sling than in Mew Zealand, having regard to tho numbers ill tho camps and tho work k> bo done. The Coiuinis?ion sits agate to-morrow morning.