ARMY TRANSPORT

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21371, 15 March 1941, Page 8

ARMY TRANSPORT

EXERCISES CANCELLED VEHICLES UNOBTAINABLE POSITION IN HAMILTON The Army Department announced at a late hour last night that it had decided to abandon the army manoeuvres scheduled for next week in North Auckland owing to the impossibility of securing sufficient transport. The impressment of motor vehicles had proceeded yesterday at Claudelands Showgrounds to the extent of the reception of a considerable number of motor vehicles, mostly light trucks, and though the numbers surrendered by owners was understood to be considerably below expectations, preparations were made to remove the vehicles to the north during the week-end. However, 'the cancellation of the manoeuvres has caused a transformation. f The staff dealing with reception of vehicles could not give out any information for publication but it was evident to anyone attending the assembly base that very few vehicles remained there this morning. Others had either been removed as soon as it became known that the Army Department plan had been abandoned or that the vehicles had not even been presented for impressment. Whatever the case, less than a score of motor vehicles remained at the reception base this morning.

Inquiry in Auckland indicates that the Northern Military District was to provide 600 motor trucks and 300 motor-cycles, but the number available up to last night was just about 10 per cent of those numbers. The manoeuvres were to have seen several thousand territorials from all parts of the North Island taking part, arid some units from Waiouru camp actually passed through Hamilton last night en route to the north. The plan provided for all units being in bivouac by Wednesday morning next. FINE PLAN UPSET BRIGADIER’S REGRETS (Special to Times) AUCKLAND, Saturday A very fine plan had been prepared and it was regrettable that it had to be abandoned or postponed at very short notice, was the tenor of the comments by Brigadier P. H. "Bell, D. 5.0., Officer Commanding the Northern Military District. He said there were some cases where vehicles had actually been delivered to the reception depots, but they had later been recovered by owners when it was realised that appeals lodged automatically freed the vehicles from the Army control. Brigadier Bell said that if the manoeuvres could not be carried out next week, alternatives were to postpone them in the hope that more vehicles would become available, or to arrange an entirely fresh series of exercises. The second alternative would be most unfortunate, not only because the rearranged exercises would be without motor transport and consequently would not practise the troops in modern warfare, but also because of the enormous amount of preparatory work that had already been done.

That work, Brigadier Bell said, included the establishment of petrol dumps, the purchase and delivery of supplies, and the engagement of buildings, some of which had been electrically wired. He pointed out that some of the smaller units had already left Waiouru en route to the concentration areas, using Army transport vehicles, which were, of course, to be supplemented by vehicles from civilian sources.