Islands Regiment

A New Look For The Pacific Islands Regiment

The Pacific Islands Regiment is to have a new look. They will soon say “good-bye” to webbing designed in 1937. They will have

new lightweight equipment, speci

ally developed for the tropics.

THEY will have new boots which have been designed to counter such obstructions as “panjis” (pieces of bamboo with fire-hardened needle-sharp points, set in the earth as booby traps).

Two senior Australian Army officers, Major-General R. R. Mc- Nicoll, Master-General of Ord i n ance (whose father was adminis trator of New Guinea from 1934 to 1942) and Major General T. S.

Taylor, Deputy Chief of Staff, made an eight-day inspection of Army in stallations and troops in P-NG in March.

They told a Press conference that the new boots would have steel sole inserts to counter “panjis” and similar obstacles. A panji would pierce a normal type boot and in jure a soldier’s foot.

But it was not the boots; it was the new type weapson which at tracted attention and aroused the enthusiasm of the troops. The per sonal equipment also aroused in terest. This was about half the weight of old issues and included: • Blankets; • An inflatable mattress, which not only made sleeping in the jungle more comfortable, but was excellent for river crossings; • Mosquito nets; • Nylon sleeping bags; • A tent-like shelter; and • A new water bottle.

There were also minor improve ments in eating and cooking utensils.

The changes are in line with de velopments in army equipment in British service units throughout South-East Asia. It is the first time in the area that a whole new range of equipment had been developed for the tropics, the senior Army officers said. It had been used in an Australian Army exercise and had been the subject of favour able comment.