DEFENCE NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 6 November 1907, Page 2

DEFENCE NOTES.

MONDAY'S MANOEUVRES. Lieutenant-Colonel Okey, commanding the 4th (Tarauaki) Battalion, has issued general orders for the field manoeuvres at Stratford on Monday. The Battalion and Stratford Mounted Itilles will concentrate at Straford on Monda.y, November 11. The Stratford Mounted Kifles and the Hawera, Eltham, and Stratford ltliles (blue) under the command of Major Liardet, will attack Stratford from the East road, and the'Taranaki Guards and Killcs, Inglewood and Waitara Kifles (red), under the command of Major •Vlalone, will defend the town. A further order confining operations to a specific piece of country will be issued on oth November. Majors Malone and Liardet will issue their own operation orders to their respecive forces.

The Blue force will commence operations at tho Ivahouri .bridge, on the Ohura road, at 10.30 a.m., and the Red force at the Stratford railway station at 10 a.m. Operations cease at 12.30. In the afternoon battalion drill and outpost work will be practised. The Hawera and Eltham Rifles will entrain by the train leaving Hawera at 7.20,, and the Taranaki Guards and Rifles, Waitara and Inglewood Rifles and the Battalion Band will travel by the 7.40 train from New Plymouth. The troops will carry their own lunch and ammunition.

Dress—Field service, with leggings. Officers will not wear swords, and will carry field glasses and sketching material.

The general idea is that at 9.30 on Monday morning the Red force at Stratford received news by cyclist that a hostile force of Blues, estimated at 20 mounted infantry and 80 infantry—in all 100 men—was at Kahouri bridge a quarter of an hour earlier, advancing towards Straford, and the Red force is rnstnicte,] to take measures for the defence of the town from the east. Upon receipt of the. ideas and maps, all captains ami subalterns in the Battalion will write an "appreciation of the situation" from the point of view of the Red force and forward them to Lieut.-Colone] Okev. ■ i TARANAKI RIFLES. Tli Rifles paraded on Monday night when there was a large mnscr. The men were put through a course of skirmishing exercises. At a subsequent meeting of the company, two new members were elected. it was decided to hohl the second match for the championship on Thursday, 21st inst.; ranges 500 and GOO j yards. Trophy shooting for the second class will lie held 011 21st and 23rd inst.; first prize to be a trophy, value '£l Is, and the second value 10s 6d; ranges 500 and 000 yards. A large number of the men intimated their intention of being present at the field manoeuvres at Stratford on the nth, ■■ Contrarls have been let for clearing furze off the Rcwa liewa rifle range and putting the trench in good order. We were just ready, withKanother bombardment of tiie authorities' defence of dilatoriness. Six months apo the competitions for Government medals took place 011 the local range. The medals have been awarded, lmt the markers have not yet been paid!