OUR STAFF INSTRUCTORS.

Press, Volume LII, Issue 9155, 12 July 1895, Page 2

OUR STAFF INSTRUCTORS.

Of all those who hold responsible positions in our Volunteer service there are few who work harder than the District Staff-Instructors. It is their duty to take the recruit for his initiative step in the service, and turn bltn out a capable and efficient Volunteer. To do all this it needs the quality of patience in a large degree, as well as powers of concentration and administration which only comparatively few men possess. It is on this account that the staff-instructors are taken from the Imperial service, where they have been specially trained for the position. They are, so to speak, the conuecting link between the highest officials in the service and the men in the ranks, and invariably have the respect of all parties. It has been said by more than one military authority that the drill-instructor is the very pivot of the system, that although you may have first-class officers and good men, yet without a capable drill-instructor all efforts to ralsean efficient company are unavailing. I have said that in all cases these Instructors are men who have been in tbe Imperial Service, and may add that, in many cases, they have seen active service, and fought to uphold the British prestige. Some of them have served a considerable time in India, and as India is to all appearance, likely to become tbe happy hunting ground for many of our young colonial officers, in consequence of the Competitive Commissions offered by the Impei ial Government to New Zealanders, these experiences must be valuable. In addition to all this I feel sure that there is not a volunteer or an ex-volunteer in the colony but will gladly welcome the military records of those so well-known as our Staff-Instruc-tors. What colonial who has resided in any of our principal centres during the past fifteen or sixteen years but has heard as household words the names ot Finn,

Jones, M'Pherson, Barrett, Purvis, M'Millan, Blackmore, Scully, Bush, Richardson, Fowler, Castle*. Healey, Carpenter, or the other of the instructors, and i 3 there one amongst us but would like to know more of these men who are diligently preparing tbe young colonial for the struggle which every day gets more imminent? It is with this idea that I have collated the records of these gentlemen, and shall publish them, noc necessarily week by week, but at short intcrVETsT A shore record of their i cements, so far as procurable, will also be attached to each. I commence the series with 1.-SERGEANT-MAJOR FINN, Wellington {Late H.E.I. Co. aud 25th Regt. H.M. Foot.) There are few residents in Marlborough, North Canterbury or Wellington to whom this popular officer is not known, and wherever known respected. Volunteers aud ex-volunteers in all these dUtiicts will bear testimony to his worth, both as a man and an instructor. As I beard a Volunteer officer remark a short time back when speaking of Sergt.-Mijor Finn, there is not much of him it is true, but what there is is real white all through. Sergt.-Major James Finn was born at Lambeth, London, in 1843, and is therefore in his fifty-second year. Like all Cockneys he loved the military, and although his j parents designed him for a different pro- j fession he decided otherwise. He enlisted in one of the Hon. East India Company's regiments early in 1559, being sixteen years of age. With a batch of recruits he was sent to the regimental depot at Warley, in Eisex, but was not kept there very long, as the fallowing week a draft from his regiment embarked in the good ship Lord Ellenborough for India. The passage ro India from England was not the rapid process it is to-day, and it was five months after leaving England before the recruits arrived at Calcutta. Here they were allowed but a very short ppell, almost immediately proceeding up the river Hooghley iv flat-bottomed boats to Barmckpore, which was then one of the Company's military station?.

Arr ved at Barrackpore the new chums were disembarked and marched to the barracks, where tiaere was a regiment of Sepoys stationed. This Sepoy regiment which had taken part in the mutiny, had been disarmed, and it struck the new comers as very funny to see the native troops doing duty with ramrods Instead of rities. At Barrackpore they were allowed a few <?ays rest before being drafted off to the different regiments which were in the Company's service at that time.

Young Finn, with a number of his shipmates, was posted to the 6th Bengal Light Infantry, and went by rail to Ranigunge via Chinsurah and thence by bullock train to Hazaribagb, where the regiment was stationed. They were several days on the road, the marching being done at night the detachment resting in the day time. He remained with the Oth Bengal Light Infantry until the Honourable East India Company broke up, when be took bis discharge and was sent home iv the ship Queen of the Seas.

Almost immediately on his arrival in England he joined the 23th Regiment of the Line, better known as " Old Brag's Slashers" and wa9 sent to the Depot at Ferraoy, Ireland. Here, full of activity, and anxious for foreign service, he volunteered for the 25 h King's Own Borderers, and in 1881 went to Mullingar, and thence to Cork, embarking soon after for Gibraltar where he joined his regiment. The regiment was stationed at the Rock of Gibraltar till 1862, leaving in that year to take up duty at Malta, where they remained till 1864. The next station to which tbe regiment wa3 assigned was Canada, Quebec being the particular destination. It was here that young Finn got his step as be was promoted to Corporal. The regiment remained in the Quebec citadel till 1865 after which they went to Montreal where they stayed till 1867. During the regiment's stay in Montreal Corporal Finn was sent on detachment duty to Chamberley, Point Levi and St. Helen's Island.

On the outbreak of the Fenians in the United States the regiment was sent to St. John's, and four companies—to one of which Corp. Finn belonged—under Major Hallowes, now Gen. Hallowcs, were ordered to St. Armand's, on the borders of Canada, and for a week were the sole guard of the railway line, which of course would be a favourable point ot attack for the Fenian raiders. At the end of a week they were reinforced by four companies of the Rifle Brigade and two field guns, and ordered to march to Pigeon Hill and attack the Fenians, who were encamped about half a mile inside the Canadian linei in the bush. This action, however, never took place, as the Fenian raiders, as soon as they saw the British disciplined troops advancing retreated hurriedly over the border into American territory, where they were safe, as to attack them there would have raised international complications. They left a large number of their amis— which, by tbe way, consisted mainly of old guns and swords—behind them, so great was their hurry to escape to neutral territory.

Soon after tbe return of the four companies to join the regiment, Corp. Finu got another step, this time being promoted to the rank of Sergeant, his step being dated 18C6. By this time the regiment had had a good spell of foreign service, and got the route for Scotland, when they had their headquarters at Glasgow, with detachments at Ayr and Paisley. During the regiment's stay in Glasgow Sergeant Finn was Provost Sergeant, which speaks well for the good opinion held of him by hia officers. The next move was in 1869 to Aldershot, where the 25th was stationed until IS7O, and here still further proofs of capability were sho<vn by Sergeant Finn, and he was olaced as Serpeant-in-cbarge-of-Orderlies to Sir James York Scarlett whilst the regiment stayed at Aldershot. In IS7O the route was received for Portsmouth, where they were stationed at Anglesea Barracks, and it was here that Sergeant Finn got bis colours nine years after joining the regiment, a performance which speaks volumes for his attention to duty. In 1871 the regiment moved to the Forts in Gospart, where they stayed till 1872. Again the regiment got the route, this time for Birr Barracks, Ireland, and in 1873 to Kinsale, thence to Butterwent, and after that to Cork. From Cork a move was made to Camden Fort, Queenstown. >fter a short stay here, a return to Cork, and in 1877 the regiment got the route for India, but Col.-Sergt. Finn did not go with them this time as he was sent to York and attached to the 2nd West York Militia as Paymaster-Sergeant, in which position he remained until his pension became due. Before leaving the service he received the Imperial medal for long service aud good conduct, and next year he becomes entitled to the New Zealand long service medal. After a short rest Col. Sergt. Finn embarked for New Zealand, arriving in Wellington in 1830. There he joined the Armed Constabulary Force and waa employed as drill instructor to the Volunteers in Marlborough district and to the Armed Constabulary till 1833, when he was transferred to Christchurch, where he gained great popularity amongst all classes of voluuteers by his genial good temper and capability as an instructor, fie waa in Christchurch and did much work In instructing the numerous recruits who enlisted at the time of the last Russian scare, and saw the formation of the Canterbury Scottish, Canterbury Irish and Richraend Rifles, also the Canterbury Mounted Rifles, N Battery, and Canterbury Engineer*. As an instructor be was always ready with bis advice, and there is

■ no doubt that to his ability and assiduity ' must b3 traced in a great measure J the prominent position in volunteering ■ which the Ist Canterbury Battalion occupied under Col. Tosswill. In 1890 he was transferred to Wellington ro take the place of the late Sergt.-Major Bell, which district was, and is still, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Newall, who had alio been transferred from the Canterbury district. From the above short resixne of his career it will be seen that Sergt.-Major Finn has thus served his Queen and country in every capacity from a private to a Sergt.-Major Instructor for thirty-six year.*, and that he will long retain his health and strength to continue those daties is the earnest wish of his numerous ' friends in Canterbury, Wellington aud I Marlborough. THE KING'S OWN BORDERERS. The title of this regiment was altered in--1877 to the " King's Own Scottish Borderers." Ihe regiment was raised in 16S8 in the City of Edinburgh by the Eirl cf Leven.from amongst the noblemen and gentlemen who came over from the continent with William of Orange, and was known as the Edinburgh regimeat. 2. tradition in the regiment tells how the total strength of 1000 men was raised in four hours, one of the most wonderful feats of recruiting ever accomplished. The first work in which the newly raised regimeut took part was the blockade of the Castle of Edinburgh, and their next the battle of Kiliiecrankie, where the regiment first gained that name for daring courage it has ever since retained. From Kiliiecrankie they were taken to Ireland and did good work at Gal way, Atbloue, Aughrim, and other places. Th-jir next work was done in the Netherlands. At Steenekirke they fought so bravely that thny were almost annihilated. Landeu saw another brilliant example of their courage, whilst at Namar they had twenty officers and 500 men killed, as they were opposed to three French regiments armed with more modern weapons than themselves, and had to rely *oley upon the bayonet. Notwithstanding this they with great courage forced their opponents to retreat. Sheriffmuir and Culloden, Vigo and Fontenoy, the Castle of Blair (for the defence of which against overwhelming odds they wero thanked in public orders), Roncoux aud Laffeldt (where they captured two French standard*) all saw the regiment engaged with credit to itself.

In 1759 the 25th took part in the Battle of Minden, and fought with such stubbornness that they lost two thirds of their number, bat received instructions to inscribe "Minden" on their regimental colours.

It was in 1782 that, through some disagreement with the authorities of Edio burgh, tbe privileges granted to the regiment at its inception were curtail, d, and it was decided to drop the title Edinburgh Regiment, and revert to the regimental number. George 111,, however, himself named the regiment "The King's Own Borderers," conferring on it tbe badge of the King's crest with an accompanying motto chosen by himself. The siege of Gibraltar found the Borderers on the spot, and their part iv that defence was no light one. At the close of the siege the regiment did duty for some time as marines, in which capacity they assisted in the capture of a treasure ship containing about one million sterling, aud it was as marines that they took part in the famous fight off Uahant en the glorious Ist of June. From Gibraltar they were sent to the West Indies, and at Granada still kspt up their reputation. At Pilot Hill, although reduced by disease and the sivoid to 175 of all ranks, they cut their way gallantly through the enemy and relieved St. George's, for which they received great praise, the ladies of the town wearing their coloura and crest. In 1801 they were in Egypt, and thence back to the West Indies to take a share in the capture of Martinique. Their West Indian work precluded their taking any part in the battle of Waterloo, and it was not till 1824 that they arrived in England. From 1826 to 1834 they were again in the West ludies, where the freeing of the slaves gave them plenty of work. For tke next thirty years they had only rou.'ine regimental duty, but were most of the time on foreign service, serving in New South Wale 3, Cape of Good Hope, Madras, Hong Kong, Singapore and Ceylon. In 1864 the Fenian raid in Canada occupied their attention, and fourteen years later they were engaged in the Afghanistan Campaign of 1878-80. In this campaign they were with the division under General Bright—the Kbyber Line Forre—and also with the Pe.->hawar Valley Field Force, with both of which bodies they well upheld their reputation The latest achievments of the Borderers hare been in the Chitral campaign, where they have covered themselves with glory. The 2nd Battalion were in Egypt In 1888, and took part in the battle cf Geraaizah in the Soudan iv 18S9, after which it was quartered at Kuldumah, Bengal, India. The Ist Battalion being quartered at York. It has been said that every regiment in the British A my has a nickname; the only one which I can find attached to thiregiment is the " X.0.8.'5," the initials of their title. The honours inscribed on their colours are " Minden," " Egmont-op Zee," " Egypt" (with the Sphi»x), " Martinique" and "Afghanistan, 1878 SO." The officer commanding is General N-pier, who has seen service in several campaigns, and holds high positions in tbe Army. He. hos the Crimean medal, with clasp for Sebastopol, the Turkish order and the Turkish medal. Lieut. Col. Hogarth has command of the 2nd Battalion The arms of the regiment are:—The Castle of Edinburgh with the motto "Nisi Dominus frustra"; in the second and third corners, the Royal crest, with the motto "InVeritate Religionis confldo", in the fourth corner, the White Horse with " Nee aspera terrent."