MILITARY NOTES.

Hauraki Plains Gazette, Volume XXXX, Issue 5469, 2 September 1929, Page 1

MILITARY NOTES.

OFFICERS’ COURSE. The tactical course for the senior territorial officers of the Northern Command which commenced at Cambridge on August 23, ended last Thursday. The staff attending consisted of I.ieut.-Colonel J. E. Duigan, D. 5.0., in command as director, with Majors S. C. P. Nicholls, D. 5.0., H. C. Glendinning, D. 5.0., R. Miles, D. 5.0., M.C., and W. I. K. Jennings, D.S.O. as assistant directors, and Lieut. V. J. Innes, orderly officer. The territorial senior officers attending for instruction were : — Auckland ■ Mounted Riffles : Lieut.Col. W. C. H. Stevens, Majors J. F. Potter and A. H. Wilkie. Waikato Mounted Rifles • Lieut.-Col. C. R. Sprague. Major A. Tattersail, and captain J. A. Ritchie. North Auckland Mounted Rifles : Majors K. B, Tennent, M.M., W. R. Lowry, M.C.. H. G. Carruth, and W. E. R. Mackesy, Artillery : Lieut.-Col. C. W. Coles. Engineers : Lieut. Col. R. G. Milligan, D. 5.0... V.D. ; Majors W. A Gray, M.C., and F. C. Soar. Auckland Regiment : Majors A. W. Short, N. L. McKay, M.C., A. T. Dow, V.D., and V. F. Maxwell. Hauraki Regiment: Lieut.Col. F. Prideaux ; Majors W. C. I. Summer and C. L. Knight, M.C. North Auckland Regiment: Lieut.-Col. C. J. W. Lockie ; Majors R. H. Harris, C. S. White, A. D. Jack, M.C., and E. A. Harding, M.C. Waikato Regiment: Lieut.-Col. S. J. E. Closey, M.C.; Majors R. D. Macfarlane, M.C., and H. H. Westmacott, 0.8. E. Lieut.-Col. C. K. McCormick, D. 5.0., M. 8., F|R.C.S., A.D.M.S., Northern Command, was also present. The officers were Organised into l four syndicates, each under an assistant director, but most of the work was done individually. The course, comprising tactical exercises in the field without troops, commenced with a march through Scotchman’s Valley defile. A counter-attack was fought, and an attack by a mounted rifle brigade. The outpost problem was gone into, together with the preparation of reconnaisance report and deliberate attack. Withdrawals and the preparation of defensive position were studied. Visit to Battlefield. On the Sunday the officers under instruction visited Orakau, the scene of the last battle of the Waikato war. Major Westmacott had arranged for the two remaining survivors of the action—both Maoris—to be present and meet the party there and describe the actual encounter. Unfortunately one was unable to be present through sickness, but the other, Te Huia, a venerable veteran of over 100 years old, gave a most interesting account through an interpreter, Mr T. Herlihy, of Kihikihi. A full report of this appears elsewhere in this issue. The officers were unanimous in their remarks as to the alertness and activity of Te Huia’s brain, and the fluency of Mr Herlihy's interpreting. Arapuni Visit. After lunch at Orakau the party proceeded to Arapuni, where, owing to engineer officers being present, the recent erosion was described very interestingly to the visitors, after which, under the guidance of Mr T. Rabone, Public Works Department, the power house was inspected. Aeroplane Flights. On Wednesday afternoon Major Cowper, instructor to the Auckland Aero Club, arrived in a D.H.60 Moth aeroplane, with Mr Spencer Mason, the club’s hon. solicitor, as passenger, and landed in Mr J. Taylor’s paddock. Several officers were taken up for flights on Thursday morning and flew over the scene of the tactical exercises. Major Cowper returned to Auckland later that day, arriving at 1 p.m. Military Strength. On March 31 the New Zealand Permanent Forces consisted of 109 officers and 419 other ranks, territorial force of 1051 officers and 16,541 other ranks, and the cadets of 549 (territorial officers seconded for service with the cadets) and 32,070 other ranks. Defence rifle clubs numbered 139, with a membership of 4,097.