SENIOR MOUNTED REGIMENT

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22765, 18 July 1939, Page 10

SENIOR MOUNTED REGIMENT

Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry SEVENTY-FIVE YEARS OF ACTIVITY This year the Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry celebrates its seventy-fifth anniversary, having been formed in Christchurch in 1864, and accepted by the Government in November of that vear It is, therefore, singularly appropriate that the recent increases in establishment of the territorial Yorces should have restored the u n> to r ° mental status at this time During the las* two years, the unit has, with the Otago and Nelson - Marlborough f °Thf history of the Canterbury Yeomanry - Cavalry is most closely linked manry province, and the tooneer families of Canterbury have from its inception, given their active support In 1862 a meeting, at which Mr John Hall presided, first mooted fhe proposal to form a corps, as a state P oftension then existed between the Federated States of America and Creat Britain, and it appeared that war, was imminent. However, although the meeting was enthusiastic and supported by Mr W. S. Moorhouse, the Superintendent of the province, the war scare passed, and no definite action resulted. Formation of Regiment Two years elapsed, and it was not untfi October 8, 1864, that an advertisement appeared in the newspapers cipnpd bv J. C. Wilson, W. S. Moor house and 75 others, stating that they were wiping to join a mounted corps -nrl calling a public meeting. inis was held four days later i‘ antornow so widely known as the Ca ™'; r bury Yeomanry Cavalry, was duly formed. Messrs W. Thomson J. C. Wilson. W. S. Moorhouse, J. C. St. Quinton J. C. Brooke, J. C. Aikman, and C M Ollivier were elected a committee and the following officers appointed:—Captain Reader, officer commanding; J. C. Wilson, W. Thomson, and E S. Wakefield to be captains. C. C. Aikman, W. S. Moorhouse, and M W. Anderson, lieutenants, and L. P." Traherne, J. C. Aikman, and ±l. Tancred, cornets.

“A Resplendent Uniform” A resplendent uniform was adopted: “A blue tunic with red facings and gold mountings, sword belt worn underneath, while a pair of pantaloons of corresponding colour and material are worn under a pair of serviceable long boots. Cap of the kind known as the muffin-cap which could be made to suit the climate by the addition of a white cover and peak. The arms supplied were the Terry breech loading Carbine, and a sabre rather heavy, yet withal a serviceable article.’ Parades were immediately bpgun, at first twice a week, increased later m the year to every evening, and efficiency was rapidly achieved. The first camp was held at Hillsborough in 1865, where it is recorded that the charge of the cavalry was a well executed affair.” The “sham fights” which later became a feature of the combined training of the early days were enthusiastically performed, so much so that large “bags of casualties” were not infrequent. Commanding Officers

A list of the commanding officers is as follows:—Captain J. Cracrolt Wilson, Captain Digby-Brett, • Captain A. Strouts, Lieutenant-Colonel Henry Slater, Captain A. W. Wright, Captain W. S. Lindsay, Captain R. Heaton Rhodes tnow Colonel the Hon. Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, K.C.V.0., K.8.E., V.D.. and honorary colonel of the regiment), Captain G. E. Rhodes, Colonel J. Deans, \?.D., Lieutenant-Colonel P. Acton-Adams, D.5.0., Colonel H. C. Hurst, C.8.E., D.5.0., V.D., LieutenantColonel F. Gorton, Major L. R. C. Macfarlane M.C., and Lieutenant-Colonel A. J. Nicoll, who is the present commanding officer. The regiment is now 440 strong, an influx of recruits in recent weeks having raised the strength to this total Several bivouacs will be held in the near future, the bulk of the out-of-camp training for all except specialist branches being carried out by this method. A number of non-commis-sioned officers will sit next month for the examination for first appointments to commissions, and they are required to fill vacancies in the officers’ list under the increased establishment. The Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry is undoubtedly celebrating its sev-enty-fifth anniversay in a most practical and valuable manner.