New Zealand Gazette – 1888 – No. 64

Page 1304

✨ Regulations for Volunteer Corps



1304
THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE.
[No. 64

guidance and information will be forwarded from the Defence Office to the Major selected to command.

  1. The Staff Officers of any such battalion will be as under:—
    2 Majors.
    1 Captain, as Adjutant and Musketry Instructor.
    1 Pay and Quartermaster, with relative rank of Captain.
    2 Medical Officers.
    1 Honorary Chaplain.

MUSTER PARADE.

  1. During the last quarter of the Volunteer year Officers Commanding Districts shall order a muster parade of each corps in their command, mounted corps excepted, at which every enrolled member is to attend, with the arms, accoutrements, and Government property in his possession.

  2. The spare arms, accoutrements, &c., on issue to the corps are also to be produced for inspection at the same time; and, in the event of articles being found missing or deficient, the cost of the same will be deducted from the capitation grant of the corps.

INSPECTING OFFICERS’ PARADES.

  1. Any officer appointed for the purpose of inspection may once in each year order a parade of any Volunteer corps for inspection, and any officer or Volunteer who shall absent himself from such parade, without permission of the officer ordering the same or reasonable excuse, of which such Inspecting Officer shall be the judge, shall be liable to the penalty provided in clause 52 of “The Defence Act, 1886.”

  2. In the event of an officer or Volunteer being prevented from attending the parade by sickness, the fine will be remitted on the production of a certificate to that effect, duly certified to by a medical man.

  3. The Inspecting Officer, when making his official inspection, shall be recognised as the senior officer at all parades he may attend.

  4. The Inspecting Officer’s duties are limited to inspections, but he shall have power at any time to order the production of all Government properties, stores, &c., in possession of a corps, and to examine all books and other official documents in use or authorised by these regulations.

  5. On notification from the Inspecting Officer, the Officer Commanding the District will call such parades as may be required by him.

ARMS, ACCOUTREMENTS, AMMUNITION, AND STORES.

  1. Arms and accoutrements will be supplied to all the enrolled members of a corps except Honorary Reserve corps.

  2. All arms, accoutrements, and other articles issued to a Volunteer corps shall remain the property of the Government, and the Commanding Officer for the time being will be held responsible that they are at all times in a serviceable state, and for their return to store (when required) in good condition, fair wear and tear excepted.

  3. It shall be the duty of Officers Commanding Districts to require of officers relinquishing or assuming command of corps to sign a mutual certificate of transfer, according to Form V.-5.

  4. When the Commanding Officer of a corps applies for leave of absence, or intends to resign his command, he must obtain a certificate from the officer next in command that all the arms and other articles issued to the corps—a list of which must be attached—are complete and in good order. This certificate must accompany the application for leave, or letter tendering the resignation.

  5. Rifles must invariably be cleaned immediately after use. Any neglect will impair the accuracy of the weapon. Any Volunteer who fails to keep his arms or accoutrements clean and in good order may be fined for each offence, as prescribed in clause 47 of “The Defence Act, 1886.”

  6. Volunteers must not, under any circumstances, tamper with their arms, or use them for other than military purposes; and any arms which, on inspection, may be found to have had any parts improperly altered or damaged shall be at once returned into store, and repaired at the expense of the corps or individual.

  7. All surplus stores—such as empty powder-barrels and cases, metal-lined cases, metal cylinders, or empty bursters—must be forwarded to Defence Storekeepers by the cheapest and most direct conveyance.

  8. Ammunition in the following annual proportions, to be reckoned from the 1st day of January in each year, is allowed to Volunteers of the several arms without payment, on the condition that it shall be expended, within the year, under the command and supervision of either a commissioned or non-commissioned officer. The full annual allowance must be requisitioned for before the last quarter of the Volunteer year. When metal cartridges are supplied the corps is held responsible for the return of the cases; and if any deficiency exists beyond 10 per cent. it will be charged against the corps at the rate of 4s. per 100 cases:—

Heavy ordnance ammunition:—
For Naval or Garrison Artillery Volunteers, such allowance as may be from time to time authorised by the Defence Minister.

Field ammunition:—
For Artillery Volunteers who have field-guns, per Gun Detachment, not exceeding six detachments per corps (bandsmen not included)*…
No. of Rounds.
… { 5 shot.
{ 5 shell.

This allowance, which is to include the proportion for prize-firing, is not to be exceeded.

Small-arms ammunition:—
For every enrolled member (except reserve) … 100 ball.

NOTE.—Rifle and carbine ammunition is allowed to be purchased by Volunteer corps, in such quantities as the supplies in store may permit.

  1. Volunteers are not to lend any of their arms, appointments, or Government property, nor are they to use any of them except on duty or when practising at the butts, and any contravention of this regulation will be punished as disobedience of orders.

  2. A Volunteer must immediately report any damage or deficiency in his arms, accoutrements, &c., to the Officer Commanding his corps.

  3. Half-yearly returns of arms and accoutrements and all Government property on issue to corps must be rendered to the Defence Storekeeper on whose books the same appear, made up to the 30th June and 31st December, not later than the 15th July and 15th January respectively. (Vide Forms V.-7 and 8.)

  4. The price of all stores issued to Volunteers on payment must be paid for in advance in cash or by post-office order.

MUSKETRY INSTRUCTION.

  1. Musketry instruction will be under the supervision of a Musketry Instructor or a member of the Permanent Staff, and be carried out in the order provided for by musketry regulations.

  2. Class-firing must be at all times under the superintendence of either a member of the Permanent or District Staff or an officer of the corps, who will sign registers before quitting the range, and be responsible that the regulations are strictly adhered to.

  3. To enable a Volunteer to qualify for capitation he must have annually fulfilled the following conditions, viz.:—
    (a.) The trained Volunteer, fired 40 rounds of ball ammunition at individual firing, and passed into or fired in the second class.
    (b.) The recruit, fired 50 rounds of ball ammunition at individual firing, and passed into the second class.
    (c.) In addition to the above, trained men and recruits must have fired with their companies or squads—
    10 rounds independent, and
    10 rounds volley firing.

  4. No Volunteer shall be eligible to fire in the second class until he shall have passed out of the third class.

  5. The amount granted by the Government for prizes will be distributed in such sums as shall be decided by the Defence Minister each year, according to the figure of merit obtained by corps in volley and independent firing.

  6. No corps shall be entitled to receive a prize unless at least two-thirds of the strength of the corps is present, exclusive of officers, and competes at the volley and independent firing, on the day appointed by the Officer Commanding the District.

  7. The District Adjutant or a Staff Officer is responsible for the shooting of the Volunteers being carried out in accordance with the Rifle Exercises and Musketry Instruction for the Army, except where they are altered by instructions from the Defence Office.

  8. Targets for use of corps will be supplied to Officers Commanding Districts on requisition.

  9. Corps, whether armed with long or short rifle, to adopt the drill for the short rifle.

PRECAUTIONS AT RIFLE PRACTICE.

  1. In order to provide for the safety of the public, indiscriminate private practice on Volunteer rifle ranges shall not be permitted. All practice should be so regulated as to insure the presence of an officer or a non-commissioned officer, who will be in charge of the firing party, and held responsible for enforcing strict regularity and discipline.

  2. None but experienced persons shall be employed as markers.

  3. The officer or non-commissioned officer in charge of the firing-point must see that the special rules and regulations for rifle ranges are carried out. At all class-firing, if the men of

  • Blank ammunition for ordnance and small arms will be issued for reviews, field-days, salutes, &c., on approved requisition.


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Online Sources for this page:

VUW Te Waharoa — PDF NZ Gazette 1888, No 64




✨ LLM interpretation of page content

🛡️ Regulations for Volunteer Corps (continued from previous page)

🛡️ Defence & Military
Volunteer Corps, Regulations, Muster Parade, Inspecting Officers, Arms, Accoutrements, Ammunition, Musketry Instruction, Precautions