Fire-Watching

Dominion, Volume 35, Issue 292, 8 September 1942, Page 4

Fire-Watching

Sir —Your correspondent ‘'Guardsman” in Monday’s issue very wisely refrains from discussing the merits or demerits of the above service, but contenus that physical .fitness is the greatest possible contribution any citizen can make toward the defence of his country. No one can cavil at the .importance ot physical fitness for conducting operations ’in an efficient manner, -but to., suggest that a scheme.of physical training as carried out by the Home Guard will lead to better health and an improvement in work-day efficiency is very doubtful in- ’ My experience of physical training in the Home '-Guard is that I cannot.say my health has been improved, nor has my work-day efficiency been stepped up. As a plain matter of fact, I have been .so wearyi after an all-day (Sunday) training that work on the. Monday has been much impaired. Happily the Home Guard- authorities recognize (at any rate my unit commander does) that .it is not in the- best interests of the unit or the guardsman that a member round about the 50-51 age can undertake the physical training laid down as being acceptable in a general way. Judging by the way straws are blowing it would seem that an ever increasing number of fire-watchers and E.P.b. personnel will in the future be composed of men round about the 50-year age and upward. Physical fitness will play a most important part in the efficient conduct of these services, but the question ot physical training and particularly the manner in which it is applied should be well thought out before applying it in a general way to advanced age I am, etc., GUARDSMAN —aO YEARS ORD. v „ Wellington, September 7.