SECOND ECHELON` TROOPS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 259, 30 September 1940, Page 7

SECOND ECHELON` TROOPS.

COMFORTABLE QUARTERS

IN FORWARD AREA

(From the Official. War Correspondent with the New Zealand Forces in Great Britain.)

ENGLAND, Sept. 28. Most of the troops of the Second Echelon of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force are comfortably accommodated in billets near their forward base which is in Southern England. Some of them are living in vacant houses and others in the parish hall, barns, lofts, coasthouse's, applesheds, unused stables, other farm buildings and hop pickers’ huts. When the force first took up its position iu the field it bivouacked as had been customary on training exercises, but when orders were received for an indefinite stay in a front line area it was made a first consideration to get all ranks under shelter because, though the weather was unbroken, autumn was hurrying on. The nights are already much cooler and occasionally showery. Everyone has been placed under cover within a few days, those not immediately billeted being provided with tents. Since then there has been a progressive improvement, both by the transfer of tented units to billets and by moving those already in poor billets to better ones. As when camping in the open the men have shown commendab.e initiative in making the most of the quarters available, while owners and tenants of the premises have been uniformly generous and helpful. Units and sub-units are rather widely distributed, but there is safety in diffusion when death is unleashed from the sky. The signals branch maintains a complete system of communications by landline and wireless.

SPORT FOR WINTER

Organised winter -j sport in the N.Z.E.F. in the United Kingdom began this week. The force has been divided for purposes of intergroup competitions in Rugby, Association code, hockey, athletics and harriers, basketball, boxing and wrestling, swimming and diving (for which tepid, baths are available), but first there will be preliminary -competitions within groups. The infantry battalions, for instance, each of which forms one group, have begun inter-company games. From players in battalion teams, then from players in inter-group fixtures. which start the week after next, the New Zealand Army teams will be selected, at least in Rugby a.nd hockey. The Rugby selectors will be Bishop Gerard, Lieutenant Rex King and Company Sergeant-Major Frank Solomon. Major-General Ereyberg attaches great importance to sport os a means of keeping troops fit, specially when their military training has been so tar advanced as tliat of the Second Eclielon now is. The daily work programme presently provides for a minimum four and a half hours’ drill, including two hours’ marching, with organised games filling the balance of the day. It has been laid down, and is . repeatedly emphasised, that the purpose of sport is to cater for all and that all must have regular opportunity for competitive play, even though the standard may not be high. In Rugby especially, much interest and enthusiasm will attend the selection and performances of the New Zealand team. Nevertheless, it is regarded officially as of only secondary importance in the winter’s activities. ' - v Since the men themselves are equally anxious to keep fit, many will play more than one sport, and the competition programme has been spread over a week to permit this. Hockey will he played on Mondays, Rugby on luesdavs. Association code on Wednesdays, basketball on Thursdays and Rugbv again on Fridays, leaving Saturday free for outside games with district teams and other troops in the neighbourhood. It is intended that the New Zealand teams should be selected by the end 'of October and in the lastweek of that month to hold an athletic sports meeting, a boxing and wrestling tournament and a swimming and diving carnival.