OUR NATIONAL ARMY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 388, 13 May 1910, Page 8

OUR NATIONAL ARMY

ITS ESTABLISHMENT. COMPLETE DETAILS. By Telegraph—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. To-night's Gazette contains particulars of the establishment for the Territorial forces, which are to be as follows: The Garrison Artillery divisions at Auckland and Wellington will each have three companies, and Lyttelton, Westport, and Otago one each. The total strength of each company will be 100, made up as follows: Captains 1, lieutenants 2, second lieutenants 1, company sergeant-majors 1, sergeants 5, trumpeters 2, corporals 5, bombardiers 4, gunners 79; total 100. One permanent staff sergeant-major will be allotted to each of the following districts: Auckland, Wellington, lyttelton, Otago, and Westport. Medical officers will be attached to •districts as follows: Auckland and Wellington 2 each; Lyttelton, Westport, and Otago 1 each. The New Zealand Field Artillery 'will be formed into an establishment of four 'brigades, one brigade being allotted to each of the following places: Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury, and Otago. Bach of these .places will have two batteries and an ammunition column. The headquarters staff of each brigade will be composed of one lieutenant-colonel, one orderly officer (lieutenant), one trumpeter, one corporal, two bombardiers, nine gunners, one fitter of wheels, six drivers for spare horses, two orderlies for medical officers, and one clerk, making a total of 25. Each battery iwiill have hve officers, including a major, eight sergeants, and a total rank and file of 132 and a total in all ranks of 145 each.

An ammunition column will have a total strength of 47, including five officers each. It will thus ,be seen that each brigade will have a total strength of 3G2, or 1448 for the Dominion. Each battery will have four guns, four ammunition waggons, one army service waggon, one cart, and 78 horses, including 42 draughts'. There will be 105 horses for each brigade, or a total for. the Dominion of 660. A field company of engineers will have a total strength of 212, the mounted branch consisting of 55 and the dismounted branch of 157. There swill be six officers for each company, while the rank and file will consist of 45 mounted and 150 dismounted men. The establishment includes one non-commissioned officer and two men trained in signalling for internal communications. The headquarters staft' of a mounted regiment will' consist of four officers, one warrant officer, six staff sergeants and sergeants, two artificers, and five rank and file, a total of 18. There will be 23 horses. There will be attached one medical and one veterinary officer. The machine-gun section will consist of one subaltern, one sergeant, and 11 rank and file. There will be one gun and 18 horses. The squadron will have six officers, 12 non-commissioned officers, and 62 rank and file, a total of 80 of all ranks, with 93 horses. The total regiment will be made up as follows: Headquarters (including attached) total strength 20, Maxim gun section 13, four squadrons 320, total regiment 353, total horses 410. An infantry battalion will consist of. eight companies (each company having a total establishment of 84), a machinegun section with a strength of 11, and a headquarters staff of 27, in all- 710 of ail ranks, with 49 horses. Each company will have three officers, five sergeants, two buglers or drummers, and a rank and file of 74, including four signallers, two stretcher-bearers (bandsmen), and two drivers for pack animals. One company in each battalion will have one corporal and three privates as signallers. In the remaining companies one of the I four signallers may .be a lance-corporal.

Of the total battalion one non-com-missioned officer sind eight men will be trained in sanitary duties. The headquarters staff will consist of 26, of which live will be officers, one a •warrant, officer, eight sergeants, and twelve rank and file. The adjutant and sergeant-major will belong to the permanent stall. A medical officer will be attached to the machine-gun section, which will have a total strength of nine rank and file. The adjutant and ser-geant-major will belong to the permanent staff.

The transport section will be compose'd of 19 vehicles, 23 draughts, and 18 pack horses, and there will be 20 drivers. Provision is made for a mounted brigade Held ambulance (two sections). It will have a total strength of 39 men and 31 horses. The transport will consist oi four vehicles, five drivers, and seven horses. A field ambulance will have an establishment of 70 men with 35 horses, and a transport section 14 vehicles, 17 drivers, and 25 -horses.