EARLY DAYS OF VOLUNTEERING.

Press, Volume LXIX, Issue 20862, 23 May 1933, Page 7

EARLY DAYS OF VOLUNTEERING.

CANTERBURY UNITS. i | FIRST SOCIAL EVENING. For the first time since the old volunteer organisations were disbanded in 1911 after the passing of the compulsory training act, the members of 19 units will meet at a social gathering in the King Edward Barracks, Christchurch, to-morrow evening, for some time past a roll of volunteers who served with various units between the years 1866 and .1911 has been in course of preparation by Captain W. Murphy, of the New Zealand Staff Corps, and much interesting history of the early days of volunteering in Canterbury has emerged from the search for survivors of the various units.

Up to yesterday, Captain Murphy reported, a total of 672 names of exinfantry unit volunteers had been recorded. The numbers were distributed throughout the organisations as follows:—First Battalion staff, four; Second Battalion staff, five; City Guards, 62; College Rifles, 78; City Rifles, 29; Kaiapoi Rifles, 60; Cycle Corps, 26; Highland Rifles, 64; Rangiora Rifles, 18; Imperial Rifles, 71; Civil Service Rifles, 38; Sydenham Rifles. 59; Ellesmere Guards, nine; Linwood Rifles, 35; Native Rifles, 19; Bearer Corps, 52; Engineer Company, 1C; Queen's Cadets, 20; and Garrison Band, eight. There was also a number of names available, from the old Irish Rifles, the Richmond Rifles, and the Heathcote Rifles, which were in existence before the units were banded together in battalions.

City Guards' Record. The history of these old volunteer units is closely linked with the early days of Canterbury. Perhaps the oldest was the City Guards, which first came into existence in 1864. It was accepted for service in 1866 under the Volunteer Act of the previous year. This is the only corps in New Zealand which has retained its history and traditions without serious interruption throughout the various changes in volunteer organisations. The unit handed its seniority on to the present First Battalion, Canterbury Regiment, which is now entrusted with the traditions of this early organisation. By virtue of the seniority of this old corps, the King is at present the Colonel-in-Chief of the present Canterbury regiment. In 1911 the old City Guards ceased to exist as a distinct entity. Many iateresting letters have been received by Captain Murphy while he has been organising the gathering lof old volunteers, and the move to bring together men who served many years ago has been generally welcomed. One of the oldest volunteers, | in terms of service, who has so far been found is Captain Walter Johnson, who now lives at Rangiora, and who started his career in the junior cadets in 1869, no less than 64 years ago. He was associated with the Sydenham Rules and also with the Woolston Rifles. Remarkable Record. Colonel F. B. Cresswell, of Christchurch, has a remarkable record of more than 60 years' association with volunteering. He began his career with the City Guards, and although he is now more than 80 years of age, his name still appears on the retired list. Colonel the Hon. G. J. Smith, M.L.C., also has a record of many years' association with the volunteers. He, too, began with the City Goards*

later commanding the Second Battalion, North Canterbury Infantry Volunteers. Captain A. P. Hopkins has had 47 years with the volunteer movement, first being associated with the Cycle Corps. Several other well-known residents of Christchurch and the surrounding district have also revealed their association with the volunteers. Mr George Weston was one of the original members of the College Rifles, as also was Mr J. H. Poulton. Captain J. Whiteside was an early member of the Irish Rifles, Colonel A. E. Loach of the Cycle Corps, and Mr J. Douglass of the Linwood Rifles. Several of these organisations date back for many years, the Kaiapoi Rifles, the Highland Rifles, the Irish Rifles, and the Richmond Rifles all being formed about 1885. It is expected that there will be a large attendance at to-morrow evening's function, and the suggestion hasj been made that a permanent organisation should be formed.