MOUNTED RIFLES.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20621, 10 August 1932, Page 16

MOUNTED RIFLES.

CANTERBURY REGIMENT. TWELFTH ANNUAL REUNION. The twelfth annual reunion of the Canterbury Mounted Eifles was held at the Christ church Returned Soldiers' Association's club rooms last night and was well attended. Colonel John Findlay presided. The toast of "The King" having been honoured, all present stood in silence for a brief space in memory of fallen comrades. The chairman said that he was very proud to see such a good gathering. He saw the old faces and was proud to see them, but hoped that next j*car he would see some new ones and asked each one present to bring along some one who had not been present before. Apologies received were from Sir Andrew Russell, Mr George Harper, General Meldrum, Colonel Powles, Colonel Whyte, Colonel Studholme, Captain Robin Harper, Sergeant-Major Salt, Major W. Smith, and Lieutenant R. C. Doherty. The Main Toast. Colonel J. Stafford,} proposing the toast of "The Regiment," said, that he wanted them.4b carry their minds back to 1914, when Colonel Findlay was appointed to the command of the regiment, and they had been lucky in serving under, him. (Applause.) Some of the regiment had come out with flying colours, and some of the best of fellows were lost; but the Canterbury Mounted Rifles had made a name for itself second to none. No regiment in the world had a better name, either as soldiers, as horsemen, or as horse masters. There was no more able soldier than its commander. (Applause.) He was a man without cant and when such a man was at the head of a regiment it was bound to be successful.. The second in command, Major Acton-Adams, was an able horsemaster and a very fine fellow, arid a lot of the efficiency of the regiment was due to him. He paid a tribute to the regimental sergeant-major. The chairman, in responding, said that he appreciated very much the proposer's remarks, which had been flattering to himself and to the regiment. He was very pleased with the referenceß to Major Acton-Adams. They were proud of their sergeant-major. -There was no doubt the sergeant-major's job was a most difficult one. Colonel Stafford had referred to the Canterbury Mounted Rifles as cavalry, but it was a regiment of mounted rifles, and its men did not carry swords. A gallant cavalry charge in which, say, one man was killed, made good newspaper reading; but if the mounted rifles accounted for a hundred men there was nothing said about it. The moral effect of cavalry galloping was great when the enemy was in retreat, but during' his six or seven years of active service he never saw an opportunity' for using cavalry. The New Zealand Mounted Brigade ranked as one of the best in the Army and credit was due to General Sir Andrew Russell, who was New Zealand's first soldier. For him no detail had been too small nor any operation too big. Other Units. Colonel H. C. Hurst proposed "Other Units," and said that though, naturally, they thought of their own unit first, they all appreciated what other units did in the war. Colonel S. P. Nicholls, in responding, said that he realised, as they all did, how important it was to have the cooperation of all arms. As a member of the New Zealand Mounted Brigade it was pleasing to recall that when a particular division was wanted it was the Anzac Division that was .asked for;-.and that if a particular brigade was wanted it was the New Zealand brigade that was wanted. Although the mounted forces in the Dominion were to be organised as cavalry they were not yet being armed with swords because they did not have any in the Dominion. Cavalry drill had been adopted so that the whole of the mounted forces of the Empire would be organised on the same lines. If one had to fight in another war it would not be any one particular arm that would win, but a combination of all arms. In the course of the evening songs were given by Messrs L. Pegler and W. Toomey, and recitations by Messrs «. Laurenson and A. Owen. The accompaniments for the vocalists were played by Mr T. Lawrence.