Pacific Islands recruits graduate and show their skill DPR/TV/758

It was an important moment in the lives of more than 270 young Pacific Islands recruits this week when they graduated from the Army's Papua-New Guinea Training Depot at Goldie River, near Port Moresby. The young Papuans and New Guineans officially became members of the Army at a ceremonial march-out parade - and also had the opportunity of demonstrating their newly-learned military skills to a large gathering of spectators. This was the culmination of 22 weeks of intensive training - both military and academic. Reviewing officer for the parade, the Commander, Papua-New Guinea Command, Brigadier I. M. Hunter, was welcomed by the officer commanding the training depot, Major J. Tattam, from Parramatta, NSW. He then inspected the parade, accompanied by the parade commander and officer commanding the depot's recruit training company, Captain G. Skarden. The recruits marched past in slow and quick time before the presentation of trophies to the best recruits of the intake. After marching off the parade ground, a hasty change of clothing was necessary for a training review which followed. Designed to give spectators some idea of what the recruits had learned during their training, the review included a demonstration of platoon fire-power, a display of combat physical training, and a simulated ambush of a transport column when the parade ground turned into a battle field as the ambushed troops turned the tables on their attackers. The newly-trained soldiers are now moving out of the depot to take up postings with Army units throughout Papua-New Guinea Command. (Also identified: Second Lieutenant R. Webb of Perth, WA; Second Lieutenant J. Symons of Peak Hill, NSW)