DEFENCE NOTES.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3470, 9 March 1912, Page 3

DEFENCE NOTES.

(By “ Reveille.”)

Lieutenant Lafferty, 0.C., F. Con. panv (late P.), has issued Company orders in which it is stated that on account of the reorganisation of the Regiment this Company will as from Ist February, 1912, be known as “F. Company, Ist Battalion 9th Regiment, sY.E.C. Rifles. ”

The following acting appointment®, the orders further state, have been approved : —Acting-Corporal Nesbitt, Aci-liig-Lanoe-Corporals Fester, Birketv, " .glace, ami Smisori.

On .Saturday iasb Captain Shelley accompanied by Lieutenants Lafferty and AlcOoll and Sergeant-Alajor Bishop journey to YYhatatutu and there help parade of recruits. The men were sworn in and afterwards received some valuable advice from Captain Skelley concerning their duties during their term of training.

In future the Company organisation will be maintained as follows : —Company Commander, Lieutenant. A. AY. Lafferty; Right-half Company Commander, Lieutenant A. B. ALc-Coll; Left half Company Commander; For the present, on account of the scattered formation of this Company, No. 3, Section being part of this hair Company, will also be under the command of Lieutenant McColl and Color-Sergeant J. V. Scott, as from Ist January, 1912.

Acting-Sergeant Andrews is detailed as orderly sergeant for V. Company, Ist Battalion 9th Regiment. \V. K. C. Rifles, for March.

Some discontent is simmering in the ranks of the inlantrymen who go into camp at lakapau next week on account of the announcement that they will have to parais while waiting for the departure of the train at Napier on the day of their arrival there". The Gisborne contingent will leave here by the Rimrie at S p.m- on Friday next and should reach Napier fairly earlv tho following morning. The train which is to convey them to lakapau is timed to leave Napier at 2 p.m. on Saturday, and thus the men will he in that town for a few hours. On the return journev it is more than probable that the contingent will go direct to the steamer from the train and the opinion is freely expressed that the men are quite at variance with the arrangements. It is held that the few hours after arrival at Napier might have been left free of parades so that the men could take the opportunity of looking around them. Many of the youths who will be among the contingent have never vet been sway from Gisborne, and they will quite naturally be greatly interested in the Napier of which they have heard much. Then again it is probable that many will he suffering from the effects of their trip on the none too palatial Ripple and a “breather” would he most welcome to them. The officers in charge will of course see that no man, who is at all indisposed, is conqreßed to parade, but it is nevertheless considered by same of the men that the short, break in progress might have been treated as a spell.

'there was a good parade of F company on Thursday, when Sergeant-Majo r Bishop delivered a lecture on “The Mechanism of the Rifle,” and ColorSergeant Scott gave a talk on camp discipline. 41 * * ' Major A. G. Bee re and Lieut. A. W. Lafferty have issued the following company order to D and F companies concerning the Takapau camp : Both the companies will parade at the Garrison Hall at 7 p.m. sharp on Friday, 15th instant, to proceed to the annual training camp at Marakeke, Takapau. Di •ess : —Marching order, with putties and overcoats. Mills Webb equipment has been ordered, b,ut in the event of this not arriving in time, overcoats will be rolled. All baggage must be at tlie Garrison Hall not later than 5.30 p.m. on the 5.30 on the 15th instant. Those men who have no kit-bag are advised to pack their blankets,• etc., in a clean sack. Each company will provide a baggage guard of 1 corporal and 2. men to' parade' at 6 p.m. and proceed with baggage to steamer. A. guard, consisting of 1 sergeant, 1 corporal and 10 men will be detailed from each company for duty on the transport. As it may be necessary to hold an examination to confirm present actingappointments before camp, N.C.O.’s are warned to hold themselves in readiness for this. * * * Banks and Badges. An old soldier writes: — “Perhaps it would not be out of place seeing that the two local infantry companies are going into camp next week, and as the majority of them are recruits, to give a list of the different ranks of

commissioned and non-commissioned officers, and also the badges of rank. Lance corporal, full corporal,' sergeant, color-sergeant in infantry, or ser-geant-major in garrison artillery and dismounted •engineers, and squadron sergeant-major in cavalry and mounted rifles, or battery sergeant-major in mounted engineers. The next rank is quartermaster sergeant,, the holder of which, excepting to a third-class master gtinner, is senior to all non-commissioned officers. Next comes sergeant-major (warrant officer) who forms a link'between the non-commissioned and commissioned officers. A second lieutenant is the extreme junior officer, and from this rank the officers have the following order: Lieutenant, captain, major, lieutenant-colonel, colonel, ' brigadier general, major-general, lieutenant-gen-eral, general, field marshal. Badges of rank: A lance-corporal wears one stripe, corporal two, sergeant three, a color-sergeant three with .cross-* ed flags or a crown above, according m the garment worn, company, op. Squadron sergeant-major wears a crcfwn above three stripes, and there are now worn on both arms above the . elbow point downwards. A .quartermastersergeant wears four stripes point upwards, below the elbow, and a sergeantmajor a crown on the forearm just above the cuff. A second lieutenant wears one star on the shoulder straps or cuffs, a lieutenant two, and a captain three; a major a crown, lieutenant colonel a crown and star, colonel crown and two stars; brigadier general crossed sword and baton, major-general crossed swords baton and star, lieutenant-gen-eral crossed swords and baton and crown, general crossed swords baton star and crown, field marshal crossed batons on ;i wreath of laurel and crown. Among the non-coms, are many ranks which are denoted by special badges in which figure crowns, wreaths, guns, drums, bugles, rifles, hammers, pincers, swords, flags and hatchets. It must not, however, he supposed that balloonists wear crossed balloons, neither do cooks wear crossed saucepans. The pen of the clerk does not figure in the adornment of a- clerk’s uniform, althougii it is probable that crossed quills surmounted by an inkpot would make a striking effect. Compounders in the Medical Corps do not wear crossed medicine bottle, but their only adornment is a Geneva cross.