Infantrymen to get their colours tomorrow

Press, 6 March 1980, Page 17

Infantrymen to get their colours tomorrow

By

GEOFF MEIN

The Burnham-based 2nd/lst Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment will on Friday be presented with its colours, in what promises to be a spectacular display of military pride and formality. The set of two colours (Queen’s and regimental) will be presented to the battalion in Cranmer Square by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Sir Richard Bolt.' Although the battalion was formed in 1974, th e rigidly formal process of design, approval, and manufacture of the colours has taken over five years to complete. Up until now the battalion has been permitted to use the Queen’s Colour of the old Ist Battalion, R.N.Z.I.R. As an indication of the veneration accorded the colours, the cost of manufacture for the set, which ’ includes hand-stitching, is about $7OOO. However, the real significance . <rf colours could never be measured in i monetary terms. Accordt ing to the unit’s com- ; manding ' officer (Lieu-

tenant Colonel A. L. Birks), an important aspect of battle is that soldiers cannot operate effectively as individuals ■-— teamwork is essential. To him, colours reflect and foster team spirit. The regimental colours of the 2nd/Ist Battalion carry the battle honours >of New-- ' Zealand . infantrymen in both world. wars and in the Boer War, reflecting the . sacrifices - , and traditions they fought for.

“We do not claim credit for the battle honours, but we acknowledge the sacrifices made, and are proud to' carry on the traditions,” said Col. Birks. He does not think that

the significance of colours is eroded in peace-time. The teamwork and spirit they represent are also important in the peacetime tasks performed by the unit. The 400-stro'ng unit is one of two Regular Force infantry battalions in the New Zealand Army, the other being the Ist Battalion, R.N.Z.1.R., based in Singapore. He described the unit as “a busy battalion, with a

varied life which is interesting and rewarding.’,’ “Infantry” is defined in the dictionary as soldiers marching and fighting on foot, but Col. Birks stresses that the battalion is more than that — it has more to do with its time than running around hills playing cowboys and Indians.

The. . unit consists of riflemen,- signallers, mortarmen,. an . anti-tank platoon, an assault pioneer group, reconnaissance team, medics, drivers, clerks, storemen, and Regimental Police. Col. Birks considers that the abilities of his_ men “equate to anything in civvy street.”

The battalion’s roles ir elude training and provicing replacement troops for the unit in Singapore (270 troops from the battalion will go to Singapore in May), participating in training exercises in New Zealand and overseas (last year the battalion trained with. Australian and United- States troops in a major A.N.Z.U.S. exercise in Australia), and the detachment of companies for deployment overseas (17 officers and N.C.O.s from the unit have been engaged in the Rhodesian peace-keeping force). Assistance is provided, when requested, to the Ministry of Civil Defence, the Forestry Service, the police, and search and rescue organisations. About 100 men from the battalion assisted civil defence authorities during the Abbotsford emergency. The battalion has recently performed stock rescues during storms, fought forest fires, and been on standby for flood relief in Christchurch.

The unit has a standby force of a rifle company of 100 troops at eight hours’ notice to move, a command group of 10 persons at four hours’ notice, and a further rifle company of 100 men at 48 hours’ notice.

The Army has, over recent years, become more involved with the civil community, which Col. Birks sees as a good thing, because he feels the Army has much to offer. Each company in the battalion sponsors a charity, such as the intellectually handicapped and crippled children, and the Marylands Special School. , Colours are presented to a battalion or regiment only once, so Friday’s ceremony will .be a big event in the unit’s life. To add even more variety to their daily routines, they have spent the last fortnight rehearsing for the parade.