A WAR LECTURE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 15, 12 October 1918, Page 8

A WAR LECTURE

"My Unadulterated.. Experiences at War" was the subject of j> lecture given before the Wellington Officers' Institute last night by Major C. M'Gilp, D.S.O. The lecturer mentioned that at tho outbreak of war he was major in command of a battery in Auckland. He went into camp as second lieutenant, and discovered in Now Zealand and in Egypt thathe and others with him had much' to learn. The Territorial training in New Zealand had not made men r&idy for war, though it had gone some distance in that direction. A great deal of training had to be dono in Egypt, and tho force was fortunate in being able to proceed with that training without outside interference. The threat of return to New Zealand was held over tho head cf tho man who would not "soldier" iu earnest. Major. M'Gilp menSioiied some of tho difficulties and dangers that were faced at Gallipoli. and the unpleasant duties that fell sometimes to the. lot of officers at a timd when organisation had not been perfected, duties were not clearly defined, and discipline was not rigid;' It had been found necessary in those days to court-martial men for "deserting"' from Egypt in order to go to the firing-line in Gallipoli.' Ho. indicated some technical defects in battery equipment revealed- by service conditions, aud described some personal .experiences of gunnery work en Gallipoli, and of the evacuation. Major M'Gilp proceeded to relate incidonts of battery work in France. He had reached the conclusion that the peace establishment of a battery was entirely unsuited. to war conditions. Enough allowance was not made in the establishment for the extra duties that detached • men from battery work at, the front. In conclusion, Major M'Gilp gave some account of tlie work done by his guns at Messines. Tho lecturer answered several questions, and was accorded a'vote of thanks, on the motion of Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, who was in the chair.