MAY 25.] THE NEW ZEALAND GAZETTE. 1587

703. While maintaining order among the troops the Commanding Officer and the officers commanding units or details will remember that the master of the ship has lawful authority to maintain order among all on board and to ensure the safety of his ship and passengers, for which he is entirely responsible.

Fire or Emergency.

704. In case of fire or emergency the officer commanding troops will render every assistance. Troops will be promptly paraded under their officers or non-commissioned officers, who will remain with the men until the fire is extinguished or the troops are dismissed. The officer commanding troops, with one or more selected officers or non-commissioned officers, will report to and carry out the directions of the master.

Messing.

705. Every assistance must be given to the responsible ship's officers in controlling the troops during meal-hours, and in respect to facilitating messing arrangements and preventing damage to ship's fittings or pilfering of ship's property (cutlery, messing-utensils, linen, &c.). An officer or non-commissioned officer should be placed in charge of each table or mess.

D.—MOVEMENTS BY MECHANICAL TRANSPORT.

706. The general principles of movement by mechanical transport are similar to those for movements by rail.

Orders.

707. The following will be included in the orders for despatch of troops by mechanical transport:—
     (a.) Date, place of embussing, destination:
     (b.) Time of departure of mechanical transport, hour at which units are to reach the embussing point, and, if necessary, the road they are to use:
     (c.) Places of assembly near but clear of embussing and debussing points:
     (d.) Composition of column and allotment of motor-vehicles:
     (e.) Arrangements for feeding troops en route:
     (f.) Detail unit group commanders.

Rules for Troops joining and leaving Mechanical Transport.

708. (1.) The points at which troops join or leave the mechanical transport are known as embussing and debussing points respectively. These should be on straight lengths of broad road, with open ground on the “rule of the road,” side, and, in the case of a debussing-point, with a suitable assembly-ground to which the troops can move without crossing the road. Villages, bridges, and defiles should be avoided.
     (2.) Mechanical transport should never have to turn round on embussing or debussing points; in cases when, owing to the position of the bus-park, this is necessary, suitable road circuits must exist in the vicinity of the embussing or debussing points.
709. Special attention will be given to the selection and previous reconnaissance of embussing and, when possible, of debussing points.
710. (1.) Troops to be embussed will be told off into unit groups of vehicles. The leading vehicle of each unit group should be marked by a flag, as also will be the point at which it is to draw up at the embussing-point.
     (2.) Unit groups will be told off into parties of 25 to a bus, 20 to a 3 ton lorry, 13 to a 30 cwt. lorry, and 8 to a 15 cwt. van, or, in the case of other types of vehicle, of a number sufficient for the capacity of the vehicle; each party will be given a number corresponding to the number of the vehicle on which they are to embus. Parties will form up on the “rule of the road” side on the embussing-point at the place at which their vehicle will halt. (Six vehicles occupy 60 yards of road-space.)
     (3.) No troops will be on the embussing-point or the approach to it while the vehicles are arriving.
     (4.) Prior to embussing troops will remove their equipment.

Duties of Officers Commanding Bus Columns.

711. (1.) An officer known as the officer commanding bus column will be appointed to command every body of troops moving by mechanical transport.
     (2.) He will arrange with the officer commanding mechanical-transport unit for his numbering throughout from front to rear of the vehicles on the “rule of the road” side, and for the flagging of the leading vehicle of each unit group. If the transport consists of various types of vehicles he must ascertain the number of each kind.
     (3.) Buses and lorries of unit groups will be grouped separately, buses preceding lorries. Spare vehicles will not be numbered, and will be marked “Not to be loaded.”
     (4.) He will give the order for the column to move when the embussing is completed; this will be notified to him by the unit group commanders by signal.
     (5.) He will give the signal for halts, if any; the place, approximate time, and duration being notified in the orders for the move.

(6.) At the debussing-point he will give the order to debuss, and, unless time is the object, he will ensure that the mechanical transport clears the point before the troops use the road.

Duties of Unit Group Commanders.

712. (1.) The unit group commanders will superintend the embussing and debussing of their group.
     (2.) They will ensure that officers are evenly distributed throughout the vehicles in their group.
     (3.) They will arrange for signalling communication between groups and with the officer commanding bus column.
     (4.) They will travel on the driver's seat of the leading vehicle of their group.

Rules for Mechanical Transport.

713. (1.) The pace of mechanical-transport vehicles will be carefully regulated with regard to the type of vehicle employed, the nature of the surface, the width of the road, the nature of the traffic likely to be encountered, and the local traffic regulations such as apply.
     (2.) Under normal conditions motor-lorries will not be driven at a faster pace than ten miles an hour. Motor-vehicles when passing dismounted troops will do so at as slow a pace as possible, to avoid covering the troops with dust or mud.
     (3.) A regular distance, sufficient to allow of sudden halts without a collision, must be maintained between lorries moving as a column. The column should be divided into blocks consisting of ten vehicles. On good and level roads a distance of 15 yards between lorries, and 30 yards between blocks, may be taken as a fair guide, provided the drivers are skilled and well trained in march discipline.
     (4.) Columns of lorries going up steep gradients should usually be allowed to open out, and each lorry “given its head.” As soon as the head of the column has reached the top of the hill it will slow down to allow the vehicles in rear to close up to the regular distance.
     (5.) A man riding on the last vehicle of a block should be detailed to keep a lookout in the rear to warn the driver if overtaking traffic desires to pass.
     (6.) Loaded vehicles are to be given the right of way, and empty convoys will halt, when necessary, to allow them to pass.
     (7.) Columns of lorries should not be halted at or in the immediate vicinity of a corner, unless sentries are placed to allow them to pass. If it is absolutely necessary for a column to halt astride of a road-junction, a distance of 15 yards should be left between the nearest halted vehicle and the corner on both sides of the road-junction.
     (8.) Whenever a column is halted, sufficient intervals will be left between each batch of ten vehicles or less to allow of side-tracking any passing vehicles when necessary. On no account are any transport vehicles to “double bank” or to draw up on a road opposite to one another. When halted, turning, or reversing, care must be taken not to block other traffic.
     (9.) All motor-transport vehicles when travelling after dusk will carry lighted side and tail lights.

E. TRAVELLING—WARRANTS.

Authority to sign and issue Travelling-warrants.

714. The General Officer Commanding, on the recommendation of Os.C. Commands, may delegate to officers the power of signing and issuing travelling-warrants.
715. The appointments of officers to whom authority to sign and issue travelling-warrants is delegated will be published in General Orders from time to time, and the names of such officers will be recorded at General Headquarters.
716. When an officer relinquishes his appointment his authority to sign and issue travelling-warrants will cease. The warrant-books on issue to him will be withdrawn by the issuing authority, and any outstanding warrants will be cancelled.

Purposes for which Travelling-warrants may be issued.

717. Travelling-warrants, the cost of which is chargeable to departmental accounts, shall be issued only for the use of persons travelling on duty on the Public Service. Officers issuing travelling-warrants, not authorized by general or special authority, will be liable to be surcharged with the cost of the same.
718. (1.) The purposes for which travelling-warrants may be issued are—
     (a.) Training and administration:
     (b.) Attendance at parades, drills, annual musketry course, annual training-camps:
     (c.) Courts of Inquiry, Courts-martial, Boards, classes and schools of instruction, escorts, and any other authorized military duty:
     (d.) To families of permanently employed officers, non-commissioned officers, or men who are permanently transferred, except where the transfer is at their own request:
     (e.) For miscellaneous movements in the ordinary course of service as are clearly necessary and contemplated by regulations, orders, or instructions: