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On Saturday, October 21st, the members of all Units took part in a small Field Day in the New Territory, they showed a keen interest in the proceedings and I think were enabled to acquire some knowledge of taking cover, fire control, &c., &c.
The Hongkong Volunteer Troop also took part on this occasion and gained experience in embarking and disembarking their ponies. It is now proposed to add more of this form of exercise to the drill senson.
Hongkong Volunteer Engineers.-The Engineer Company attended the Camp better than in any previous year and were put through a very thorough course by the R.E." Mechanists; they also undertook the lighting of the whole Camp by electricity with great success.
Gun Practice-Preliminary instructional practice with the Maxim Guns was carried ont on 3 occasions on the Range, and the men were practised in quickly getting the gun again into action after a jam. Practice was carried out from four 15-pr. B.L. Guns from Stone- eutters Island, North Shore, on October 28th. Targets were placed on the slopes of Chung Hue.
The practice was carried out by sections instead of as a battery as in the case of previous years, this being a better training for the Officers for the actual duties they would be required to carry out on mobilisation.
On the 23rd October, the practice was elementary for the special instruction of the Section Officers and Gun Layers and was therefore slowly carried out, 4 Series were fired, the target for each series being 3 screens and 12 duramies representing 3 field guns, 6 men standing and 6 kneeling, the ranges varied from 3,050 to 3,350 yards.
64 rounds were fired and the results were good, altogether 16 dummies out of 48 and 10 screens out of 12 wore put out of action - total number of actual bullet holes 90. The best series being the last under Captain SKINNER at a range of 3,300, in which 14 rounds were fired and 6 of the 15 targets were hit.
On 28th October, the positions of the targets were changed, four series were again fired, 10 gun detachments were present and all took part, there was a very marked improve ment in the rapid service of the guns in most cases, and the Range Officer reported that there was a much larger percentage of effective rounds and the ground all about the targets was ploughed up by shell and bullet holes although in many cases the dummies were not actually hit.
71 rounds were fired, and 16 dummies and 5 screeus were put out of action.
The best and quickest series was fired by the Right Half No. 2 Company under Captain ARMSTRONG, they fired 16 rounds in 94 minutes and killed 8 dumnies out of 12 and all the screens.
All the squads were changed ou to the Maxim Guns and fired at barrel targets, with good results.
One Maxim gun jammed frequently, this fault had been found with this gun at preli- minary instructional practice on the Range and the gun had been thoroughly overhauled by the Armourer-Sergeant who replaced the old barrel with a new one. The fault was due to the connecting rod, new ones had been ordered for some time for all the guns but have not yet arrived in the Colony.
Colonel KENT, C.R.A., inspected the men at this practice, and His Excellency the Governor and His Excellency the G.0.C. were present. The C.R.A. reported favourably on the practice.
Musketry.—Class firing was carried out more thoroughly than in previous years, am! 168 Officers and men fired the course; a good average was obtained.
The Officers and Staff Sergeants carried out Revolver Practice, showing a markel improvement on last year,
Inspection-His Excellency the Governor inspected the Camp
on October 23rd and saw the Corps on parade, he statel that the arrangements were very satisfactory.
His Excellency the General Officer Commanding inspected the Camp and the Corps on October 29th. He informed the Officers and men on parade that he saw a distinct improve- ment, the gun
drill was well carried out and with far greater rapidity than in previous years,
The "
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the field day showed that the Corps had made a distinct advance, and he was glad to see that points which he had noticed on former occasions at drill and in the state of the Camp had
been corrected.
The O.C.R.A. inspected the Artillery Units at Guu Practice and reported favourably. The O.C.S.M., R.E., carried out an examination of the members of the Engineer Cou- pany in their duties as electricians and engine-drivers and, except in the case of one man, reported very favourably on the results of the examination and the progress that had been made during the Camp.
Medical Officer's Report.-Lieutenent C. FORSYTH, the Corps Medical Officer, was pre- sent every night during the Camp and was of great assistance to me in keeping the Camp in a good sanitary condition. The Hospital tent was fitted with greater comfort than in foriner years, a beds with mosquito curtains were put up, but were not occupied.
Lieutenant FORSYTH reported as follows :----
I have practically no comments to make, as with a little supervising everything went splendidly, the food and drink were good, the latrines were kept in good order, and beyond a few cases of mild diarrhoea and some very minor surgical accidents nothing of a medical nature happened."
Discipline. The discipline of all ranks was excellent,
Remarks.-The work done during the Camp was extremely good and the extension of the period from 10 to 16 days proved a great success, as I hoped, the extra knowledge gained by all ranks resulting in far higher state of efficiency than has been attained in former years.
Numerous improvements were introduced into the Camp, the most important being the thorough lighting of the Camp with electric light by the Engineer Company, the greater comfort of the Hospital tent, and an improved ablution place for the men.
The Officers attended the Camp even better than in previous years, every Officer prescur in the Colony attended nearly the whole time, the average attendance of Officers being 12 out of 13 each day.
Captain ARMSTROse's Company, Right Half No. 2 Company H.K.V.A., showed a record attendance, every man attending Camp except those ou leave.
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The Corps Sergeant-Major gave me the greatest assistance as usual and the Corps Armourer-Sergeant and the Instructors all carried out their duties to the satisfaction of all ranks.
The Naval Range and the revolver range were very kindly placed at the disposal of the Corps by Commodore WILLIAMS, and the arrangements made by the Petty Officer and his assistants to enable the members of the Corps to complete their musketty course were very satisfactory.
I have, &e.,
C. G. PRITCHARD, Major, Commandant, Hongkong Vol. Corps.
His Excellency the General Officer Commanding made the following comments on the above Camp keport :--
"This is a satisfactory report, for it shows progress all round and the attainment "of greater proficiency. The good attendance is the outward and visible sign of the deter “mination of all ranks to improve themselves."
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