AFFAIR OF OUTPOSTS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9618, 11 October 1909, Page 5

AFFAIR OF OUTPOSTS.

PRACTICAL VOLUNTEER WORK. In the small hours of Sunday morning, while most of the inhabitants of the Wairarapa were wrapped in peaceful slumber, the Waingawa river-bed was a scene of unwonted activity. The infantry arm of the garrisons of Carterton and Masterton, each about thirty strong were hard at work in an endeavour to advance themselves a stage further towards that state of efficiency which alone can ensure the maintenance of freedom. The joys of fours right, company column on the left,, and all the other movemsnts of the Drill Flail had begun to nail. It was felt that the time had come to get more practical training that as far as possible approximated to war conditions, and one branch of that training that is recognised as of supreme importance WBS the attack and deft ire of a portion at night. In the daytime there ia always the {ossibility that errors can be corrected. Tht commander can watch proceedings alid can send impolite

inquiries to No. 1 company or No. 4 company ai the case may be if things are not being done to his liking. At night, however, all is diffar- nt. The main bo ly has to rest. To enable it to do so in safey it entrenches itself and sends out watchers in all directions whence an attack might proceed. The night swallows up the watchers. Perhaps a mile away from can p a man is crawlng on his ' elly through scrub or niggerleids, peering and listening with a view to finding out the enemy and all about him. Away on his right and also on his left are others on the same game, and it is in the cjolnass and vigilance and energy of each and every one of these men that

the rest and safety of his comrades in arms depends. The rules to guide men in such operations can only '< e of a general nature. Thay can be learned by heart. They can be practised to some extent in open pa'docks or even in Drill Halls. But they can only be assimilated by the individual man—and they have to be so assimilated—by self communion under the canopy of the stars and in company with the weird shapes that only the night evolves. Recognising all these things the Carterton and Masterton infantry companies decided to operate against each other at night. Mr Perry's river-bed inuntry, south of the Waingawa, and east of the main road, was—with the courteous permission of the owner—selected as the scene of the operation?. \ Colonel Tate issued operation orders to each

company. The Waingawa bridge wai blown up. The ford on Hughes' road—the continuation of the South road was to be held by the Masterton Rifles and attacked by the Carterton Rifles. In pursuance of these orders the Masterton Kifles Captain Robinson and Lieut. Haslam, entrenched themselves souih of the river, and camped for the night, and the Carterton Kifles, Captain Skey and Lnut Hart, proceeded to reconnoitre with a view to attack, each force being about thirty strong. The details of the night's operations, and of the subsaqoent attack at 4.30 a.m. will be discussed later with the companies. Speaking generally, however, the honours in the main rest with the attacking force, who were successful in eluding the defending outposts to a considerable extent, and getting unobserved to a comparatively short distance from the en> trenchments. After the attack both forces breakfasted together as guests of Masterton, and wended th«ir way home, weary in body but happy in the reflection that the night's operations had led them to the gates of a wider field of practical knowledge, the further exploration of which would yield not oniy great benefit but great enjoyment to those concerned