VOLUNTEERS’ BIVOUAC AT ROXBURGH EAST

Mt Benger Mail, 30 November 1938, Page 2

VOLUNTEERS’ BIVOUAC AT ROXBURGH EAST

On Saturday, November 19, members of No. 10 Platoon “C” Company, Southland Regiment, went into camp at Roxburgh East, under the command of Lieutenant A. H. H. Webster. The weather though windy at times was quite favourable. Saturday afternoon was spent on the range with the Lewis gun, followed by exercises in judging distance and the taking up of a defensive position. After tea more manoeuvres were held in an attack scheme, followed by coffee and biscuits at 9.30 Church parade was held on Sunday morning after which instructions was given in field formation, target indication, and fire orders, these later being put into practice in a mock attack on defended positions up at the Knobbies. The early part of the work was carried out on Mr Woodhouse’s property on the Rifle Range and an instructive and enjoyable weekend finished at about 3.30.

The presence of two carloads of -men from the Milton Platoon brought the numbers attending the bivouac up to thirty. Major Leckie, Company Commander, came up from Invercargill, as also did Lieutenant A. R. Cockerell, D.5.0., Adjutant of the Regiment, while Sergeant-major 'J. Little, D.C.M. acted as Q.M. and Sergeant J. Gibb as Lewis Gun instructor, etc. The bivouac was made much more interesting by the fact that that the meals were arranged at the Goldfields Hotel where the platoon moved as a column in buses thus gaining useful knowledgel of the method of transport.