THE WELLINGTON REGIMENT

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 172, 21 April 1928, Page 27

THE WELLINGTON REGIMENT

NEW COLOURS NEEDED A proposal has been made to the Mayor that the ladies of Wellington should present a new set of colours to the Wellington Regiment, and Mr. Troup is calling a meeting of representatives of women’s associations to discuss the matter. The history of the regiment dates back to the Maori wars, when in 1858 a company was formed, called "The Veterans,” which, after many vicissitudes, was finally established as a volunteer force, in the early ’sixties, as the "Wellington City Rifles. The Rifles saw service on tho West Coast under Captain Buck. Early Volunteer History. The volunteer system fluctuated considerably up to the year 1898. In the late ’seventies, there were a number of volunteer companies in Wellington, each one independently administered; but owing to tho lack of Government support, these Here gradually disbanded until there remained only two infantry companies—the Wellington City Rifles and the 'Wellington Guards. There was a revival in the late ’eighties, when a number of companies again sprang into existence, only to disappear, for similar reasons. Early in the ’nineties, a third company —the Kelburn Rifles —came into existence, and in 1898, during the scare over the “Fashoda" incident, several comnanies were enrolled in a short period. So far there had not been a properly organised battalion, the various, independent companies being! occasionally formed into a temporary battalion for training purposes under the charge of a temporary staff, the companies stilt remaining independent for administration and finance. Then came the South African war, when many of the members pi the companies enlisted for service m South Africa in the various contingents of mounted rifles. This served as an impetus to the volunteer movement, and the battalion, under its commanding officer, the late Colonel R. J. Collins, steadily progressed, the strength of the companies being fully maintained. lhe ■system of organisation was not, hcwevei, on a complete regimental basis. Coming of the Territorial System. With the inauguration of the Territorial system in 1910 the various battalions of the Wellington rifle volunteers became .distinct regiments of one , battalion each, and the various companies lost their individual names, being known only by a letter of the alphabet. Some of the companies were withdrawn from the new regiment, which received the designation of the sth (Wellington) Regiment, as the old battalion had an excess of two companies which were attached to country regiments. The regiment formed one of the battalions ot the Wellington Infantry Brigade at first, but owing to the necessity of organising the trainees of the Wairarapa and South Hawke’s Bay into a new regiment the sth was withdrawn from the brigade and placed in the Coast Defence Troops of Wellington—being the only regiment in New Zealand not brigaded.. Early in 1914 owing to the reorganisation of infantry battalions of the British Army into four strong companies to each battalion instead of eight weaker ones, the New Zealand regiments were similarly reorganised—tho sth Regiment among the number. On the cessation of hostilities and the return of the New Zealand. Expeditionary Force, the regiment which had been carried on as a Territorial unit during tho war period, continued on under its previous title as the sth (Wellington) Regiment until a reorganisation of the Territorial Force took place and the New Zealand forces were organised into three commands; in each of which tho strength of the infantry regiments was one brigade. Hence it was decided to abolish the numbers from the regiments and to have them called, by name alone, consequently the sth ('Wellington) Regiment became simply the Wellington Regiment, of which of course there is at present ohly one Territorial, battalion—tho first—leaving a possibility of organising, should need arise, additional battalions. Historic Colours. The colours of the regiment were presented to the old Ist Battalion, Wellington Rifle Volunteers, long before the South African War, and they bear on them the battle honours granted to the old Ist Battalion, by virtue of the service of some of its members in the South African contingents. This is now many years ago, and the colours have now become much the worse for wear, and the material is so decayed that it will not bear further repairing. Apart from this, fresh laurels have been earned by the regiment owing to tho service of the greater portion of its members who were eligible for service during the Great War. The following are the battle honours awarded to it as a result. It will be noticed that no Gallipoli honours were awarded, as at the time the regiment was not represented in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and two companies were either in Samoa or not yet dispatched as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, although certain of its members saw service on Gallipoli. The names which appear in capital letters are those which the regiment is entitled to have embroidered on its regimental colour:— SOUTH AFRICA, 1901-1902; SOMME, 1916, ’18; FLERS-COURCELETTE; MORVAL; LE TRANSLOY; MESSINGS, 1917; YPRES, 1917; POLYGON WOOD; HINDENBURG LINE; FRANCE AND FLANDERS, 1916-18; EGYPT, 1915-16. Alenin Road, Broodscinde; Passchendaele; Arras, 1918; Ancre 1918; Albert. 1918; Bapaume, 1918; Havrincourt; Canal du Nord; Cambrai, 1918; Selle; Sambre (Le Quesnoy). It is thought that in view of the condition of the Colours, it is desirable to have both the King’s and the Regimental Colours made anew, so that the battle honours can bo placed thereon. Although it would be quite possible for the regiment to provide its own colours, it is considered that as the regiment bears the name of the Capital City of tho Dominion it should be the privilege of the Capital City to present the new colours in recognition of the work it has done and the sacrifices made by those who represented it in South Africa and in the Great War, as well as to strengthen the bond between the city and its quota of the citizen army. It might be mentioned that in the British Army the colours are presented by public subscription or by the direct gift of representative bodies in the district whoso name tho regiment bears. The approximate cost of colours will be about .1175 each for tho King’s Colour and the Regimental Colour.