Boots And All?

New Zealand Listener, Volume 7, Issue 176, 6 November 1942, Page 3

Boots And All?

NE of the most interesting developments in the training of the Dominion’s army is the inclusion of deer-culling as field practice. How useful it will be to the army will depend on the time spent over it, and on the speed with which the knowledge and skill of experienced hunters can be passed on; but for the purpose for which it is intended-the mastering of country, climate, commissariat, and small arms simultaneously — it can’t fail utterly even if it does not achieve miracles. It is in fact necessary not to expect miracles. To begin with, not every man who tries becomes a mighty hunter; and in the second place, a good hunter is not necessarily a good soldier. The most we can say is that a man who can look after himself in rough weather and in rough country, judge distance, and approach and destroy game without wasting ammunition is better military material than the man who can’t do those things or can’t do all of them. It is obvious, too, that if his military task turns out to be the defence of the country on which he has been trained he will be vastly better material, and too good man for man for any stranger who can be _ brought against him. But it is to be hoped that this bush and mountain training will be made a test of his equipment as well as of the soldier himself. A fully clad New Zealand soldier is a heavily handicapped soldier where speed is a consideration. To put him against a light clad Japanese is very much like asking a fourteen-stone policeman to run ‘down a schoolboy wearing running shoes. The policeman may succeed, since he may have a bigger margin than his handicap; but he would succeed more certainly and more easily if he shed his helmet, coat and boots. It will be interesting to see how much of their equipment these bush companies are still carrying at the end of their third week. |