24TH REINFORCEMENTS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1917, Page 2

24TH REINFORCEMENTS

Address by Colonel Gibbon

Colonel 0. M. Gibbon, 1.G.5.. Chief of the General Stuff, addressed the 1 members of the 24:h Reinforcements at Trentham on Tuesday afternronon discipline. The men paraded in fatigue dress and looked exceedingly fit arid well. They are of even build, and it wea particularly noticeable that ther e were no elderly msn among them. As they had b/eo hard at work training in different portions of the parade grounds thby were allowed to sit-down during the addresp. In hia opening remarks Colonel Gibbon said that the Artillery draft was an exceedingly good one and the Engineer units were quite up to the average, but not above it, as they should be, considering the time they had been in training. The Machine-Gun Section was .quite a good draft, and so were the Signallers. The Infantry were quite satisfactory, but they had not yet bad the length of training that was considered nece&f a;y io make them an efficient unit, and a further period would be given them. Speaking of discipline, Colonel Gibbon said that New Zealanders had gained a reputation at the front, not only for their fighting qualities, but also for their soldierly quantise. lie impressed upon the men that absence without leave was tantamount to desertion. There bad been drafts that had lost, a number of men through this cause, and be sincerely trusted for the honour of New Zealand that it would not happen again. It was desirable that the New Zealand Division be kept up to full strength iu order to maintain its fighting efficiency A division only comprised 20,000 men and when it was realised that something like four or five million men were fighting on the Wes tom front the New Zealand soldiers had to work hard to keep up the great reputation that they had attained. Touchiug on the snbjecfc of avoidable illness, the Chief of General Staff slated that a man who ran a rick of contracting disease knowingly did harm to the honor of the Dominion as well us to his fellow soldiers. “ Do everything in your power to avoid bringing any disgrace on New Zealand," ho said. *‘ Your brothors have made a great name for themselves. Senior General Offices 3 have praised the work none by the mou on several ooeaeioin. l’ho standard sot is a high one, and iu order to surpass the exoelleiuie of other troops at tho front, which 1 would like you to do, your work as soldiers will have to bo equal to tho highest traditions."