CORONATION CONTINGENTS

Press, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21992, 16 January 1937, Page 17

CORONATION CONTINGENTS

TO THE EDITOR OF TnZ PRESS. Sir,—The announcement in "The Press" that General Sir Harry Chauvel is to lead the Australian Coronation contingent will be of interest to the men' of the Anzac Mounted Division, in which the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade served. It is indeed a fitting tribute to a distinguished soldier .and a big compliment to the mounted men. '

Even at this belated period it is surprising how little is known of the work of the mounted troops in the Sinai-Trans-Jordania campaign. When a man returned from the campaign to New Zealand, people would say, "Oh! You were in Egypt, were you?" and use the term "Digger," at that time practically unknown to the mounted men. Geographical ignorance would explain this, as the field of operation was in the continent of Asia, but the New Zealand base in Egypt. However, the mounted men could hardly be accused of being self-conscious of their efforts and did not court publicity. No doubt this has had much to do with the lack of knowledge concerning this campaign. Without being egotistical, I. may mention that at one stage of the campaign there was employed the greatest force of horsemen that modern warfare had known since the days of Darius, the Persian commander; and out of this vast assemblage, Sir Philip Chetwode, one of the high commands, in his recorded references, awarded the palm for »all-round efficiency to the men of the New Zealand Mounted Ritles Brigade. He further stated that their maintenance in the field was a credit to the New Zealand Government. Again, after the Egyptian rising early in 1919, the Commander-in-Chief, Lord Allenby, in his farewell reference, said that he always regarded the Australian and New Zealand mounted men as the backbone of his army and that they had earned the gratitude of the Empire and the admiration of the world. Such references can be seen in the Public Library.

We have resident in the South Island, now in retirement,. the only remaining New Zealand brigadiergeneral of this campaign, and it would be a fitting tribute if he was selected to lead the New Zealand contingent at the Coronation.—Yours, etc., GAZA. January 15, 1937.