VOLUNTEERS' FIELD DAY.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume L, Issue 61, 12 November 1907, Page 2

VOLUNTEERS' FIELD DAY.

( i Xne niui'iiiiig was iiul eucuurugiiitf when our uciciiec luivxa moved out to tJeus. ual Xuiaiuiki \toiei"uay 10 iu j. llie deieiue ul aj-umai a joieu )f MK.WU lu be uUucKiiig Ue towu. 'iue ai Lackers, tiuder Liardcl toru) L-uiintrised die ftUiillord v UiiU s, una Uie liuwera, JbilUuuiij and I Mrauord liiJies, ill reduced ijuuiilhics, / an deieneii oi the town were p.»s;ed Hie laianuki KiUes, iarauajy* lV (iU.ud.-~, Jnylcuood and Haitura Kilies ? j under .Major Alaloiie. Operations Were .. coiilined to a bull oi country about Q j. mile wide and LklvwcU bU'att'ord and e lile Kahuuri bridge, lliree miles away. e Al a given time tile uuieiKlcrs moved 0 out along the Ohura road. The Ouards s iorinid the advance or scouts, the iiiilea took uj> a position oil the r.ght 0 liauk, and the remaining iorce formed j. tiie main bod)", -Major .Matone holding a reserve loree on Swansea, road. Hie centre oi the position was letl open, and right jnio this trap rode tue mounted ( j uoops. There they wert enhiaded, and they retired, afterwards making au attach on tiie leu iJniik, but Uie broken country was against lUew. On the whole, the defenders had rather the bet- j t - ter of tiie operations, tmi there was an i t outstanding iauU on both sides that " 'neither force took advantage of cover, whilst at tunes men were to be seen only f iifly yards apart, blazing away at one 1 another. lu the aitcrnuon the troops , were addressed by Tieut.-Colunel Okey, , who had acted a-, umpire, lie remained , upuu the fact ihat the iruops had not sought cover wiicu it was available. Quoting a Itussiau general on iniuiiC warfare, he aaid that if one live round ' were added to every ten it would make the conditions more realistic and put the men better on the alert. Jlajor -M done also addressed the men on the day's work, mentioning the fact that the oilicers had, on acted on their own initiative, even though their action w.is not in accordance with the orders issued. This he llur whole oi the troops were then march, d to Victoria Parle, where a mi de joie was lired, the .Royal Salute w.ift presented, and three cheers were given for the iving, alter -which jYlajoi* Malune (xenised them in battalion drill. This wa>, no doubt, of a very instructive character, but was not appreciated by the troops, all of whom wvie wet-footed from their operations in the long wet grass.