SCOTTISH REGIMENT

Dominion, Volume 33, Issue 1, 26 September 1939, Page 5

SCOTTISH REGIMENT

Disintegration Thought Likely DUNEDIN COMPANY. Dominion Special Service. DUNEDIN, September 25. The disintegration of the Dunedin company of the New Zealand Scottish Regiment was prophesied by Captain It. D. B. Paterson at the annual reunion of the Dunedin Highland Rifles. An explanation of the Scottish company’s attitude to the war in which the Empire was engaged was due, Captain Paterson said. He had endeavoured, along with his superior officer in Wellington, to get the regiment accepted as a unit for service overseas, but this had failed. A secret ballot had been taken in winch 100 of the 120 members of the Dunedin company had expressed their Willingness to serve overseas if necessary, but he had asked them not to offer their services till he- had seen whether the Government would accept their services as a unit. This possibility had fallen through, however, Captain Paterson said, and he had subsequently informed his men that they should offer their services individually if they felt so inclined, as t here was no chance of their going overseas as a unit. “The bulk of the men,” stated Captain Paterson, ‘‘decided to stick together and to wait till reinforcements were asked for.” He announced that bis services in the special force for service at home or overseas had been accepted, and he said his disappointment at having to relinquish command of the Dunedin company of the Scottish Regiment was intense. “There is little chance of our equipping ourselves as a Highland regiment as army conditions are at the moment,” Captain Paterson concluded. “Our Scottish company will be disintegrated if this war continues, but if the company has to be broken up, as it must, we have to look forward to the time when the war is over and when the company will be re-established.”