BIG HOME GUARD PARADE

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23805, 26 November 1942, Page 3

BIG HOME GUARD PARADE

SIX BATTALIONS AT HAGLEY PARK Six battalions of the - Guard will parade in No(rih Hagley Paris on December 6, in the largest assembly. of the Home Guard ever held m Christchurch, -r The parade will be inspected by-thei District Director salute 'at a march past; °. f the Christchurch East and Uhll&tchurch South Battalions will parade. ' Lieutenant-Colonel D. S. Murchison, D.S.O.V Group Director, said yesterday that the parade would serve one very useful purpose in bringing units together. Because of the nature of the Home Guard, men had to work in small units, which might lead to what might be called a parochial feeUng, For that reason battalions held battalion parades from time to time, so that alf might realise they were part of something bigger than their own company. It was, however, only rarely that so many battalions could be brought together, .... Another result of the conditions under which the Home Guard had tc be trained was that little time could be spared for parade ground training, which was the foundation of discipline, Lieutenant-Colonel Murchison added. For that reason it was desirable from time to time to have a little of it. In the circumstances it would- not be possible to work up the full ceremonial usually associated with such a parade, but at the same time the parade would be impressive for the spectators, and for the men themselves, who would display their usual keenness and enthusiasm, which had brought them to their present high standard . He said the parade would be held at 2.15 p.m. Individual units would carry bn with their usual training in the early part of the full-day parade under unit arrangements.