ARMOURED FIGHTING FORCE

Southland Times, Issue 24878, 19 October 1942, Page 4

ARMOURED FIGHTING FORCE

Unit’s Visit To Gore During the last few days a unit of the Armoured Fighting Vehicle Force, known before the war as the Otago Mounted Rifles, has been paying a visit to the Gore racecourse, and the people of the town and district have had the opportunity of seeing something of the armoured might of the Dominion. In place of the horse used by this unit in pre-war days have come the tanks, Bren-gun carriers and armoured vehicles, and on Friday the residents of Gore saw the unit operating as it would in readiness to go into action. A long line of machines passed through the business area of the town and great interest was shown by the public. Hundreds of people lined the streets during the passing of the convoy. With the mechanization programme the Otago Mounted Rifles, along with other units, has had its designation altered to the Light Armoured Fighting Vehicle Force, and it is a unit of this force which has been temporarily stationed at Gore. The old name of the Otago Mounted Rifles is retained, however, and although the methods of fighting are now greatly different from those used by the old Otago Mounted Rifles, the men are justly proud of the record of their predecessors, who went into battle on horseback. The unit has become a fast, mobile force whose duty includes reconnaissance and patrol work for the unit to which it is attached and for the protection of the flanks. , , . ~ , Instead of dispatches being carried by horse-borne troops, an order from the commanding officer or squadron leader can now be sent many miles in seconds by the highly effective wireless system. While the men and the officers _ who have been attached to the unit in the past have regretted the change from the horse, this change has produced work and instruction which will prove valuable to them on their return to civilian life. , The camp was thrown open to the public for inspection yesterday and many Gore and district residents took ffie opportunity to visit it.