BATTLE EXERCISE

Wairarapa Times-Age, 24 March 1943, Page 4

BATTLE EXERCISE

CARRIED OUT IN BRITAIN ON GREAT SCALE USE OF AIR COMPOSITE GROUP. VALUABLE EXPERIENCE GAINED. (Special P.A. Correspondent.) LONDON, March 22. One-third of England has recently been a battleground for British troops in the biggest exercise ever held in this country. The purpose of the exercise was to see whether a force invading the south coast could reach an objective in Huntingdonshire. After a battle lasting nearly a fortnight, it was stated that the exercise was entirely successful, and that though the winners had not entered the objective town, they had cleared the way to do so by the time the war was declared ended. There were many interesting facets of this mock battle which was carried out realistically. One was that the lessons learnt in Libya and the experience gained by General Montgomery and Vice-Marshal Coningham were introduced. The most important of these was the formation of an air composite group. This group was composed of fighters, bombers and reconnaissance planes which worked in the closest possible touch with the army. Personnel of the army and air force lived and worked side by side, and it was the R.A.F.’s aim to supply everything asked of them by the army. A New Zealander was second in command of the air composite group, and many New Zealand airmen also took part in the exercise.