BIVOUAC SYSTEM

Hokitika Guardian, 21 October 1931, Page 6

BIVOUAC SYSTEM

TRAINING OF TERRITORIALS. NO RADICAL CHANGE. LOCALISED UNIT CAMPS. The volunteer territorial system is not likely to suffer in any way because of the suspension of the annual camps, at which all ranks were to receive pay, and the substitution of a bivouac scheme of camp training without pay. From inquiries made among officers ancl men there seems no doubt that the new scheme will receive tlieir. enthusiastic support. There is on their part a. .realisation, of. the difficulties through which the country is passing, and a general desire to do the best that is possible with the facilities available.

Bivouac training'was carried out in the Commonwealth of Australia during the past. military training season, and' from reports, from there indicate that the system was a success. The system will be really, a > modification of the annual camps- which .it replaces, _ the most essential difference being that the time-in'camp will 1 be shorter and that there'will be no pay. The training however, will be very much the same, although the camps will be more Realised in tlieir character and consequently the units smaller. DATES OF CAMPS.

The dates of the bivouac camps have not yet heen fixed, but the present intention of, the (military authorities is that they should take place at much the same time fixed for the camps which are now, suspended. Units will go into the bivouacs on a Monday and “break” camp on the Saturday. The objei. t of this is to prevent the training running into two weeks and so assist trade and industry by disturbing it as little as possible. It is felt that many employers who would b« ga.d to release youths anxious to attend the camps will he able to give them leave •for one week, where possibly they could not spare their absence to n n into a second week.

A leading territorial officer with a long military experience, no t only in the territorial force, hut also on active service, stated last evening that under the new system the troops would be able, to perform a certain amount of useful work. .He did not. think that the alteration.would make a great deal of difference.. T.t would not mean a very radical change in the system ot training. From a .commending officer’s ooint of view the position might not he so satisfactory because he liked to eet all his units into, the one place hut from the men’s point of view there would -be very little difference. TARANAKI AND HAWKES BAY.

As far as Wellington was concerned there would, he said, be very little difference, but it would he in districts like Taranaki and Hawkes Bay, where units were scattered, that the change iiould be most apparent. However, cho.se districts would hive to do the best with the facilities available. The Taranaki and West Coast Regiments were to have gone to camp at Waverlev, but now-there would probably be units’ camps at Wanganui and New Plymouth. The Hawkes Bay Regiment was to have gone to camp at Wai pukurau, hut under the new sy tern there would probably he unit camps at Gisborne and Hastings. In this way travelling expenses would be reduced to a ihininmm:

“The new system,” lie said “will tide iis over’ until better time. Tire attitude of the force is that the D: min on is passing through hard times and all are called upon to make a sacrifice. We have got to do the best we can with the facilities available. I am satisfied that tiie enthusiasm of officers •l.nci men will be just as keen. Mith the limited finance available, we intend to. get -the best value we can so as to make ourselves as efficient as possible.” •