Training and living
Soldiers inside a hut at Featherston Military Training Camp
The training period at Featherston ranged from two to four months. There were permanent instructors to lead training although reinforcements had their own officers and NCOs. Most soldiers entered the army at Trentham Camp where they received basic training. More advanced training and field work took place at Featherston and other Wairarapa camps.
Each numbered reinforcement trained as a group, broken down into companies (infantry) or squadrons (mounted rifles). Each hutment housed about 50 men, while tents usually housed eight to ten men. The eight large dining halls at Featherston could cater for the hutment population at one sitting.