New Zealand

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 211, 13 February 1915, Page 5

New Zealand

j THE OTAGO BATTALION. Dunedin, Yesterday. Private advices from Egypt state tliat owing to Lieut.-Colonel McDonald being invalided to England, Captain Morse D.5.0., Royal Dublin Fusiliers, who left here as adjutant to the Otago Infantry Battalion, has been promoted to Major, and now commands the battalion, with the temporary rank of Lieut.-Colonel.

OUR TKOOI'S IN SAMOA. LESS SICKNESS SOW. The Principal Medical Officer with the Samoan expeditionary force lias sent to the Minister of Defence (Hon. J. Allen) a report of happenings from December 18 to January 14. During the period, he says, there has been a marked decrease in the number of cases of dengue fever. This may be accounted for by the universal use of mosquito curtains and the. prompt removal of cases to hospital. There has also been a decrease in the number of cases of diarrhoea and dysentery. The number of cases requiring treatment for eye complaint has also declined considerably. Under the heading of "Anti-typhoid vaccination," the P.M.O. reports that practically the whole force lias now . been, vaccinated for the second time.' The few men who previously had objections to vaccination have had these overcome by the tact of the medical officers. The men, lie states in conclusion, arc in excellent, condition.

RECRUITING IN DUNEDIN. Dunedin, February 11. As a result of an open-air recruiting meeting at the Town Hall stejis tonight, about 45 men handed in their names as willing to go to the front. STRENGTHENING THE FORCES. A NEW UNIT. Auckland, February 11. Preliminary arrangements have been made for the organisation of a new unit to be attached to the New Zealand expeditionary force, a company of field engineers. The officer appointed to the command of the new unit is Lieni.-L'oJ-oncl G. Barclay, V.D., officer commanding the North Island Railway Battalion of New Zealand Engineers. He returned from Wellington yesterday,afternoon, having been summoned to headquarters to receive, the appointment. Colonel Barclay has been for m'any years actively associated with the.volunteer and Territorial systems. He was officer in command of the Dunedin Field Engineers for about eigh't years, and when the Territorial system was inaugurated was given . first command of the lfitli Waiknio Infantry Regiment. Upon the formation of tin- Railway Battalioiis of Engineers Co'onel Barclay was transferred to that branch of the service receiving his appointment to the command of the North Island battalion in 11)11. He has been a member of the railway servicer for over .'lO years, and was recently promoted from the position of traffic clerk to that of goods agent at Auckland. He will leave for south to-morrow evening to conduct an instructional camp at Turakina for officers and*senior non-eonimisioned officers of the North Island battalion, and after j-, short visit to" Auckland will return to Wellington, probably at the beginning (if next month, to organise the field engineers. Other officers already appointed from tile railway engineers to the field company are: Captain A. Beckman, of Dunedin, and Lieut. V. C. Wilson, of Auckland.