Army Chief From Malaysia

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30737, 29 April 1965, Page 1

Army Chief From Malaysia

The British, Australian and New Zealand settlement in Malaysia of the 28th Commonwealth Brigade showed how closely the three countries were allied, with differences in attitude and rivalry in sport but still with a common interest, said Brigadier T. D. H. McMeekin, commander of the brigade, when he arrived in Christchurch last evening to begin a week’s tour of New Zealand.

While the soldiers of the brigade were always in readiness to go into action in a situation where action was demanded at all times, there was also a community of wives, children and Asian servants as “part” of his brigade, Brigadier McMeekin said. This made his two-year appointment a fascinating one, but it was also a rewarding one, he said. After six months in his command he was visiting Australia and New Zealand to see the training facilities for the men who would be joining his brigade, to meet former soldiers and to see the countries who supplied the men, Brigadier McMeekin said. Admiration Of the New Zealanders he had two causes for admiration—the Maori concert party and the Rugby football team. The Maori entertainers apart. Brigadier McMeekin said the Maoris serving in the New Zealand Army showed a new way of colours mixing. He had known of the Maoris before taking his command, but he had not met them. Now he had met them and he knew them as friends. They were a proud people whose qualities demanded equality. His personal driver had been a Maori whom he would meet again in Burnham today, he said. “We can’t beat you at Rugger, we’ve tried,” he said. “In the past we’ve had 12 New Zealanders in the Brigade XV. I hope to cut that down to 10.”

Brigadier McMeekin was encouraged in that hope by a visit to an Australian training camp where there are some representative Rugby

iplayers almost ready to go to Malaysia and where there is a keen Australian desire to beat the New Zealanders for a change. Brigadier McMeekin will go to Burnham Military Camp this morning to visit the depot of the Ist Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, which provides the soldiers for the brigade. He will lunch at the officers* mess and speak to officers gathered for the Southern Military District's theoretical training exercise based on the recent exercise of the Chief of the General Staff. He will fly to Wellington this afternoon for discussions with Army Headquarters before going on to visit Waiouru and Papakura military camps on his way to Auckland, from where he will fly back to Malaysia.