MOUNTED MEN.

Auckland Star, Volume LXV, Issue 239, 9 October 1934, Page 10

MOUNTED MEN.

NEW ORGANISATION.

THE BOND OF GALLIPOLI.

GREAT PUSH IN AUGUST, 1915

An organisation, called the Anzac Mounted Division Reunion Association, was formed in Wellington on Saturday night, at a reunion of the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade. Its object is to rekindle and keep alive the strong bond which exists between mounted lighting men, In proposing the toast of the Anzac Mounted Division Reunion Association, Lieutenant James Stellin said that among the reasons for its formation was the fact that many Australian veterans were now resident in New Zealand and the association would be a good means of reviving and recementing old friendships. Closer relations with their brothers across the Tasman, he considered, should be encouraged in every way. Anzac was a word coined from the initials of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, a corps which, through their exploits, made history, as it were, in a night, and whose deeds were not overshadowed by even the Old Contcmptiblcs, one of the best-trained body of men who entered the field. "The Anzac Mounted Division," Lieutenant Stellin added, "is comprised of a part of this corps—men who went through the great push in August, 1015, and were there at the subsequent Armistice which was arranged for the peaceful burial of the numerous dead on each side, when Turk and Anzae halted their firing and almost fraternised for the time being. "I see here to-night many of the men who were in the groat August push, through practically the whole of .Gallipoli and at the evacuation. There are men here bearing as many as four and five wounds through different engagements who went right through Gallipoli and through all the engagements fought in Palestine, Romani, Bir-el-abd, Magdabha, Raffa, Gaza, Ayunkara, Bcersheba, Jaffa, and Jerusalem, and through the last big advance when about 90,000 Turks, Germans, Austrians and other nationalities surrendered. "I feel justified in mentioning that probably one of the most outstanding performances during the whole war was at Ayun-kara, where the New Zealand Rifle Brigade with only about COO rifles in the actual firing line routed a full division of Turks in a natural position well equipped with machine guns. The odds against us were reckoned out at 11 to 1." In conclusion. Lieutenant Stellin said that it was proposed to hold a reunion of the Anzac Mounted Division twice a year.