MOTOR TRANSPORT

Wairarapa Times-Age, 15 December 1942, Page 2

MOTOR TRANSPORT

LINES OF COMMUNICATION COMPANY SUCCESSFUL BIVOUAC HELD. OPERATIONS DURING NIGHT. The Lines of Communication Motor Transport Company No. 13. headquarters of which are in Masterton with sub-sections as far afield as Pahiatua. Martinborough and Featherston, held a successful bivouac recently about 16 miles from Masterton under the command of Captain D. B. Curry. The site for the bivouac and the buildings I'cr company headquarters were provided by Mr R. Liverton. Owing to the necessity for tire and petrol conservation, the full company vehicle strength of 79 three-ton vehicles was not utilised, the company's practice being to call out only sufficient vehicles for the efficient transport of its personnel and other troops being moved. In this case the troops transported comprised 120 well-equipped Home Guardsmen under the command of Captain A. Jones, taking up positions for night manoeuvres some miles distant from the site of the Lincs of Communication bivouac. On tho way to its destination the convoy was held up by a road block and an attacking party as previously arranged, although the exact location of the block was unknown to the O.C. of the convoy. Coinciding with the holding up of the convoy and providing a splendid example of timing in combined operations, planes swooped down over the length of tlie convoy, then crossed and recrossed above the road, giving a realistic demonstration of fighter aircraft effectiveness in convoy attack. The lesson was not lost on the Lines of Communication personnel, who immediately on arrival at the bivouac, were given a lecture by R.S.M. Hunter. M.M., recently returned from the Middle East, on the methods of attack and defence to be used by convoy operators in such circumstances. The training syllabus for the bivouac embodied comprehensive instruction in Bren machine-gun, field craft, respirator and gas. vehicle camouflage and infantry by R.S.M. Hunter. M.M.. Staff Sergeants Spence (from the Middle East) and Horner, all of the instruction staff of the C.D.5.1., with special classes for recruits under the company’s own senior N.C.O's. • > During the night contact by motor cycle orderlies was maintained between Lines of Communication headquarters and H.G. headquarters, and troop transport vehicles were made available by the Lines of Communication for H.G. operations from midnight onwards. One of the highlights of (lie bivouac was the excellent Christmas duff turned out under field conditions by the company's cooks. In bivouac was Major D. Bauchop, of Wellington, Second in Command of the Lines of Communication Motor Transport, for the Central Military District. Colonel Foster. District Compiandant, made a special trip to view the company in operation and addressed the personnel on its return to Headquarters in Masterton. Colonel Foster. emphasised the vital part played by efficient transport in modern war. and stressing the fact that the modern army could not operate without transport as an integral part of its complement, made eulogistic reference to the preparedness evinced by Lines of Communication Companies in their consistent training operations.