OUR INFANTRY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 306, 14 September 1918, Page 9

OUR INFANTRY

' HOW THEY ARE TRAINED LECTURE BY COL; MACDONALD At the Officers' Club, Buckle Street, last night Colonol C. R. Macdonald, 1.G.5., Chief Infantry Instructor, ffrentham. Military Camp, delivered a lecture to officers on "Tho Training of Infantry Reinforcements in Now Zea-' land.". Most of those present were Territorial officers, and Colonol F. C. Campbell presided. . Colonel MacdoMflld' said that iu tlio tearly days, when there were two reinforcements in camp, tliero were only three instructors there. Now there were' four reinforcements and sixteen instructors. In the early days the preliminary course lasted for four weeks, and was confined to drill, musketry, bayonet, and physical training. The period was gradually extended up to twelve weeks. The reason for tho extension was that in.tho early days officers were Territorials or men with military experience, but as time went on the men offering (though of very suitable material) "laokcd military knowledge. The course was'undertaken so that officers might receive ad'tUfcional instruction, so that non-com-missioned officers might get .time for learning the elementary work and also receive somo instruction in administration. The result aimed at was to produoe officers. and non-commissioned officers capable'of training and handling the men. Now the, preliminary course was concerned only with tho non-commissioued officers. The success of the course depended on the Individual. .The 'extension of the period of the class from four to fifteen weeks Spoke (for itself. First of all men could Volunteer for t,he , non-commissioned officers' class. Now men could volun-1 tcer, and the Selection Board made a selection up to about forty. Selection .was made according to personality atxl previojis experience. As to the training of the reinForccJnent itself, it'occupied sixteen weeks, and could be divided into five parts: drill, musketry, physical training, \\;itli a little, bayonet fighting, platoon and company training, and route marching and march discipline. The result aimed at was to produce a draft ready ifor open warfare.' The Fifth Reinforcements went into action without any further/training, and acquitted themselves creditably. Speaking of the question of instruction in trench warfare, Colonel Macdonald said that this had presented n difficulty. If this subject was to be introduced, it was obvious that competent instructors must be obtained. They were forthcoming, and a little instruction was given in the last week of training "pending the arrival of General Russell's opinion. That' opinion was emphatic; the instruction, was not to ha attempted. The next difficulty was ■ foayonet fighting. The new training wa-s introduced »s soon' as a new staff arrived from England. Simultaneously the most up-to-date system of physical training was introduced. The difficulties of changing from one system to were such that it was five months before a draft could leave New , Zealand fully instructed in the new system. ' • . A comparison was made with the ■fourteen weeks' course received iu England. Hero 100 hours' drill were received, and in England 111 hours; 97i lours' musketry, here and 153 hours in England j 73 hours' bayonet and physical training here, and 132 in England. ■These figures might give rise to questions, ' but it had to Be noted that alithough a draft was in camp for sixteen weeks there was nothing like sixteen weeks of training done. Two weeks 3iad to be deducted for final leave. In tho week of concentration training ,was limited. , Tho men. did not begin to arrive till tho Tuesday, and the final batch did § not arrive till the Friday, and all ha'd to be fitted out. .Another week had to be deducted for moves. Then there was absence , without leave, fatigues, etc. It,was admitted ;that in comparison with England we spent an excessive amount of time, in drill, bufc drill was the foundation of (discipline, and that was why the period could not be lessened. Now we concentrated on drill (to produce discipline), physical training (to produce activity in mind and body), and musketry, and bayonet training that the soldier would know how to kill his enemy). Where time allowed they introduced open warfare with a view to teaching initiative. Colonel Macdonald was heartily thanked for his lecture.