THE HAURAKIS IN CAMP.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXIX, Issue 5269, 2 May 1928, Page 3

THE HAURAKIS IN CAMP.

UNDER CANVAS AT RACECOURSE. ROUGH WEATHER EXPERIENCED. Tiiere are .now 185, an r.anKS„repie senting the first battalion, Hauraki Regiment, under canvas at the Paeioa Racecourse. The ,numbe'i« represents officers, n.c.o.’s and men from consolidated training centres, that, is, places where one hour; and a> half night parades ar.e .not held. The camp commandant is Major E. A. Porritt, M. with Lieut V. J. Innes, N.Z.S.C., as ad jutant; Lieut. E. J. Browning, N.Z.S.C., as assistant adjutaiit, and other officers include.: Chaplain Cap-i tain E. Nicholls, 2nd. Lieut. T. RBirdsall (A Coy.), Lieut, p. N. Laird (B. Coy.), Lieut. W. Verry (C Coy.), 2nd Lieut. H. Housler (D Coy), and 2nd. Lieut. N. W- Steele, (machine! gun section). Attached to the camp as medical officer is Lieut. J. A. Pateri son, The instructional staff arq Staff Sergeants-Major (W.O. 1) G. Patterson, R. Meachem, and A. Stew 4 ard, MM Staff- Sergeant-Major (W.0.1) N. C. Busby is regimental quartermasten-sergeant. Good! work has bee.ii done since the camp commenced, and up to Sun 4 day afternoon the weather wa£ fav ourable. Shortly after midday, an easterly wind sprang up and increased to a gale as tlie night, wore on. To add to the discomfort of the men heavy showers of rain prevailed throughout the night, and an anxious time was spent by the majority, the noise of the gale making sleep almost impossible. Fortunately none of. the occupied tents, came down during the night, bmt more than one man turned out during the hours of darkness to either, slacken off the tent ropes or hammer, in the pegs. ? Reveille went as usual at 6 o dock next morning, and the men wer.e up and about ready for. the first parade at 6.30 a.m., .The syllabus of a training camp is not dispensed with because the day happens to be a wet one. Instead bf parading on the racecourse the men weire divided into small squads and marched off under cover of ths various buildings, where rifle exercises werq carried out.

Up to the present there has been practically no sickness, but the usual sick parade is .held every molding. On Sunday the syllabus was carried on as usual, with the. exception' that the afternoon session was shortened so that the trainees could have an opportunity of meeting the, visitors to camp, of whom there was a large number. Genera] leave was granted until 9.30 p.'m; Church parade was held in the morning at the camp, while those of the. Roman Catholic faith were marched' to St. Mary’s Church.

A further batch of about 70 territorials from Rotorua, Te Aroha, Morr rinsville, Tauranga, Waihi, Thamas, Paeroa, and intermediate training centres entered the camp on Monday, and yesterday the training com tnenced in earnest. T.he trainees are fed under the grandstand, and the food so far.' has been of excellent quality, and plenty of it. Thq routine hours are : Reveille 6 a.m., first post 9.30 p. m -, last post 10.15 p.m., lights out 10.30 p.m. An hour is allowed for breakfast, with an hour and a .half, for the midday meal. There arc also two “breaks” of a quaiter of an hour in the morning and again, in the afternoon.