TERRITORIAL CAMP.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXVII, Issue 4949, 10 March 1926, Page 4

TERRITORIAL CAMP.

RETURN OF THE 1I VURAKIS.

ENJOYABLE PERIOD SPENT.

i After spending a week under canvas at Hopuhopu, near Ngaru&wahia, the A and D companies of tfie. first battalion of the Hauraki Regiment returned to their homes on Saturday afternoon. It was- a very happy band of sunburned warriors that detrained at Pherdci trom the Thames express, and an unusual sight for these times was witnessed on the station platform. The Waihi platobn, changed trains, while the Thamejs' platoon also had to detrain tor the purpose of getting into another carriage oil the express. For a few minutes the platform was alive with khaki-clad youths, struggling along with white kit-bags on their shoulders, together with their rifles. As the two trains left Paeroa 'the exchange of cheers between, the different platoons was deafening. ! The week’s camp marked the first occasion on which the two companies) of the regiment have been under canvas since the conclusion of the warIdeal weather prevailed, and the camp has. been an enormous success from all points of view. ' Under the. command of Lieut-Col-onel S. S. Allen, C.M.G., D. 5.0., the troops have 'received a comprehensive course ■ of training from elementary rifle exercises on the parade ground toi wiring, entrenching, and battle ■manoeuvres on the hills.. /The commanding officer was fortunate in having the co-ope'ration <if a capable body 6f officers most of them with active service to their credit. The adjutant was Lieut. V. J. Innes, N.Z.S.C., with Lieut. E. J. Browning as. assistant adjutant; Captain E. A. PoTritt, M.C., commanded A Company, and Captain W. Sumner D Company. Other regimental officers were: Captajns C. Knight ■ ■ (Rotorua), H. A. L Lewis (Thames); Lieuts. W. L. Lawren e (Paeroa), A. B. Rariby (Te Aroha), and J. A. Allen (Morrinsvill©). LieutJ. Clarke was in command of the regimental-band. These 'Officers, together with the permanent staff instructors, combined with the colonel in. doing, every thing possible for the trainees, and for bringing them to a standard of efficiency that one might think it impossible to achieve in the limited time.

■'STRIKING IMPROVEMENT. ' Considerable, credit' fe due also to the trainees, themselves, for without them showing the right spirit the efforts of the .officers would avail them nothing;. Illustrative of the commendable manner in which the < men settled down and ’ threw themselves into their training was the - amazing improvement .they showed almost from the commencement of the camp. At each succeeding parade they presented a better sight. On the battalion parade on Friday afternoon it was difficult to believe that the men had come in only’a few dayis before as “green- as grass,” and with no experience of training, under canvas. In all branches of the training and camp Ijfe the men showed ability and keenness- to learn, .and a cheerful submission to discipline, and; it is no idle boast id say that they marched out of the camp on Saturday a credit to their officers and to themselveis. There was frequent regret expressed that the time in camp had gone all too quickly. HEALTHY AND RECREATIVE. Apart from the military aspect of the cp.mp, it has proved most beneficial from a health point of view., and there is not a trainee but, will admit that' he feels all the'better for his week at Hopuhopu. The open air ■is a wonderful tonic, -and although they were given plenty to do,- the territorials did it outside in the fresh air and-sunshine, which made .all. the difference in the world. Ample scope was provided for recreational training; and concerts were held -in the Y.M.C.A. nightly. On: Wednesday O'concert party from Hamilton entei'i tamed the men. ■“ Lieut.-Colonel Craig.- (Mo-rrinsville) was the principal medical officer, and sick parades were held every day. Barring for sore feet, colds, and minor ailments, these parades were sparse-, lv attended, and no serious accidents? were recorded. THE FOOD. Several alarming reports appeared in the daily papers concerning the quality of the food in the camp. While there was room for- improvement during the first 24 hours, conditions were nothing like-, as serious as the public were led imagine. The

chief cause for complaint was the over-clorination of the water, which caused .a foreign taste to be 'added to., the water and food. As soon as this became known Colonel Allen personally investigated .the affair, and masters were soon, put to. rightp; and from then onwards the men had no grounds for complaint. The rations; issued were on a very liberal scale, and the quality of the food was, of the highest order and cooked thoroughly under the most hygienic conditions. One day’s rations, taken at random, provided for breakfast fried sausages, breacl, blitter, I’jani, and tea; for lunch they had bread, butter, jam, and cheese, while the hot meal at night comprised roast beef, baked and boiled potatoes, pumpkin, cabbage, gravy, plum pudding and white siauce, and also bread and butter. For the evening meal there were always, at least t.wo kinds of vegetables, and the pudding was varied each evening. Hot coffee or tea was available every morning at reveille. The men all appeared very happy, ahd the few complaints that were heard were quickly swallowed up in the praises of the great < majority. Each meal was served in a mess-room, which was. kept scrupulously clean by a camp permanent (Staff, and the’ 1 men and rations were .carefully inspected at each meal by the regimental officers. . MORALE OF THE CAMP. There are some parents who class military camps as places where .their sons are worked and bullied like galley-slaves, and 'are then fed on mighty little food, and that little be-. ing bad. Those who are; abe to. take part in the camps and see the actual conditions, know better'. The use ot bad language is absolutely fo.rbfdden, and is an offence against camp standing orders. So far as the instructional staff at the camp was concerned, swearing was never resorted-to.; rather, the sergeants-major were all. men' of considerable experience, and from them the trainees were tactfully helped and encouraged. Bullying methods of instruction or correction were noticeably conspicuous by their absence. The greatest goodwill prevailed throughout the camp, and the feeling of esprit-dc-corps between the platoons of. the -companies, was no small contributing factor towards the success and harmony, that prevailed.