OUR ARMY AT HOME.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 December 1918, Page 2

OUR ARMY AT HOME.

ARTILLERY AT EWSHOT.' i f AMID I'LKASANT SURROUNDINGS. THE MEDICAL CORPS. lly 11. I'. B. Drew, 2nd Lieutenant. In no unduly envious .spirit does the Xi'W Zealand Infantryman say that the Art :11m- have the best Lime of it in linyland. He merely states what is perfect oln ions, and what the artillerist smilingly admits is true. As in New Zealand, !hi' Artillery have to he trained in a ?p(i/ial camp of their own, where I here are "fittingu" for the purpose, and v.lifyis the country is suitable for their work.

Our balleries in England were fortuiiato e-im-.h in August, 1017, to be able to ta!:e over a section of an Artillery camp at Ewshot. Being a permanent camp established for the Regu-' lar Army, it has all tha personal comforts and conveniences that soldiers in residence-can retiuire, and this camp in particular has the additional attraction of bciny placed in very pleasant surrounding... Ewshot is in'the Aldersliot command, and is only a few miles from that \ery famous military, depot. Oa the soulii-western run from' London, about thirty-si:; mile.-, from the Waterloo Railway-station, you pass n small Hump-hire sUtlo'i called Fleet, beside wh'i-ii ;, a r.rotly sedgy lakelet, accomntodai: r; ...,a;:s and wild fowl. This is the ruih-.ay-olalion for the Ewshot Camp, which is fhrr.c and a, half miles oft'; and ii.!; way is through a bright old Kn-lili .'illatie, and thence along a. good road heavily treed on either side. Aro;i;:d the camp, at which you suddenly en are thicl; pine woods, with hi:., and there broad green me-!-'.'-.'.-.-., which are chiefly d-ted for tlir. iM-rpo.-es of cultivation iind for ] la; iN'i-j'.rr.itinh for the sporting ent!if. da-1* ni the surrounding camps. Y.\ -I:ct Camp, slranpe to say, rcje!,,>-- or rather blushes—under the one-time name of "Lr:;>4i* Barracks," l.tivitt" l-een opened some years i\L-o, on o»e df his visils to England, by His linpriia! Majesty the Kaiser. Little !f ; s Imjieiial Majesty guessed that it would Inter be occupied by troops UMiiibi.tr .-igainst him from one of the r.iu-i d::,tr.nt parls of the earth! It covers an extent of 30 acres, being eomnacL t'.n.l of p.n excellent design. It will a.v ninilnle 1,500 of all ranks and about I (iiiil hor.-os, though there were I.Wit) there before the war. In the Ahiershot command, just after the out-

■real; of waif, 775,000 men were ii. 1 r.iiitln In April last wo had twentyliio Arlilh'iy oliieers and 554 men quartered at Ewshot and 14S horses; and on- Medical Corps, which has its chief depot in the same camp, had three i.f.icers and d 75 men,

'l'll.' hi't'diiuarters buildings look out (ivit :; large barrack "square," on one ■*!i!e of '..'liieh are Hie Diglitoim-ponndcr ••v.v. :!iuK and on the other, and at Hue it.ji. Hie stables. The men's quarter., extend away in ''streets'' behind (he stables; and Hie officers have their n'.oiv juY'.entloiis buildings some few !iiM:i:red yards away on the other side, '•'liiad the gun-sheds. Two-storied 1-riel: houses—you can scarcely call ilh'iii hitts —arc the married men's re\xril■■■ in peace-time, but now they are occupied by men who have not tho l.rivi'lege of that state of bliss. Fine building:-, they are indeed, with every f(is--ib!« convenience, The smaller edifices, are also of brick, with stucco

:'iic!; fur appearances' sake. Each has its lavatory and bath, and they are all veil heated, some of them having as hi'\n\ as three Bath-houses, of course, are. also available for all lisiul.-., with hot water —big plungebaths, which in camps are almost unluxuries, Jt Is unnecessary to elaborate on the cleanliness of these quarters under our regime, or upon the way flower-garden: are maintained for I lick' ..donmient-

The officers' (jiiartef.', am altogether elaborate. Incomprehensible privileges are (heir;—-a long brick building, with pretty verur.dp. front, skirted with fiowir-gardens, possessing messrooms to match, and lounges or ante rooms, bathroom?, and lavatories! Tho Comnwntllmr Office!" (at present Colonel Standi ill I is endowed with a large, ornate, two-storied bvio'.t house.

r- PPERIQRITV IK SP08? ." In the general siirroundingi and villages round about, the Xew Zealand art l!lori:-t. Jits moro to attract and in-torc-fl lilm than hla Ipso fortunately ramped infantry brethren, but nevertheless lie has all the devotion to his welfare, t'.mu»cment;s, and education tl:at orj:' other more isolated camps provide. Recreation figures prominently in the daily life, for v. r c vio in sports with the other camps round about, including a largo O.T.C. depot. The Xew Zealand onmp not only moro than held Its own lit this district last season in all sport, ljut appropriated the boxing championship cup for the. Southern Command, which also includes Sling, and did the same in' Rugby, Both these large silver challenge cups xt-and on the headquarters mantelshelf,: ■■-The artillerists have also an unbeaten re». cm-il against the other Kcv; Zealand military camp:!, . I'. l , oilier fornn of attraction.there.is an i xecllent canteen cquippt.d- ivitli tlit usual ga:nea, citinfc-rhv co.-.y • aWK eluir.i, luiving .a - coffoc-bar, and stacked; will 1 , the i)iirclri.<able things, .■jicoeaaai'y, to ir.mp life. . . Here ;il'-o is: a.,/'regi\' mental institiiti!" with u good; lending lil'i-av.v i s'unllurly ttoer is a . sergeants' ami it corpora!*! mess, nvlrilo. forvnoni. ecininiissioncd; offiw.rs . awl mijn da'uwa are lield: in a large , hall, once ft fortnight. A reereation-room, run by. the War Contingent AssotHat lon,-ia .anptlior very useful j,,estiibl.is,lniieiiti and the We-leyau Soldiers' , House,. a djosl eltibovittely lltt od .up:' |)hiee, with- :«yeiytliirg eomfortaWei ■ even i.to mirror's : ; on tie v.a'llil. ,!'id "Cci.-,,- comers," a ( jl'y canteen, and: a piano, in- uhtj<n\ the ; charge'.'>of an Imperial Colonel Bjtdre from Aldersliot, 141st, but not least, is the übiquitous Y.M.C.A., whieh. Ims out nf its popular branches run in it-a capable way. Thin building is a large otiii, iinil it is here that concerts and entertainments are held, chiefly by partics organised by the Xew Zealand War Contingent Association and by Miss l'layfair, who (lops this for most eampaill Hie vicinity, Julius Knight in mniuijjst thoso who have performed llOl'l'.

Jt is not necessary to say anything iil;niit the meals here. Living is on quite the same \\\s]\ level as at the other Ne\v 2<>fUaiid camps that have hffii dfapi'lbed, The cooks, .with much iMiifi'prise, run their-own sausage-ma,-cliinp anrl make their own sausages from odds and ends that would othejwis» be thrown ftWftj.