LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 80, 5 April 1933, Page 6

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

(To th« Editor.) Sir,—Resultant upon the Press reports of the meetings of the newly-formed NewZealand Legion, which.l understand is a body which concerns itself with matters political, numerous inquiries and comments have reached' me from members of the public who confuse the New Zealand Legion with the "New Zealand Command of the Legion of Frontiersmen, and I shall bo indebted if you will give the following remarks' the publicity of your columns. The Legion of Frontiersmen is a voluntary, self-governing, non-sectarian body, a patriotic (organisation with no political party or creed save that of Empire, and is in no way connected with the newly.formed New Zealand Legion. The Legion of Frontiersmen was founded in 1004 by Captain Roger Pocoek (ex North-west Mounted Police!, assisted by Colonel Driscoll of Driscoll's Scouts. The nucleus of the Legion was composed of old" members of Drißcoll's Scouts and the N.W.M.P. The War Office recognises the Legion "of Frontiersmen, but no Government subsidy is granted, the Legion being entirely self-supporting and dependent upon its own efforts for continued existence. During the Great War over 9000 "Frontiersmen laid down their lives, and members served in every theatre of war.. In response to a request from* the War Office a battalion of Frontiersmen was raised, and these were the only troops, other than regulars, to be teent overseas from the United Kingdom without further training. Of 600 Frontiersmen serving in Princess Pat's Canadian Light Infantry, only eighteen survived the war, and some 1500 Australian and New Zealand Frontiersmen were killed on Gallipoli. Members of the Manchester Squadron served in Belgium from the first days o£ August, 1914, and were the first British in action during the war. a Frontiersmen are.not militant w\r seekers, but are men who are yet ready to stand for Empire again should the necessity arise, and to support the Constitution in any way which lies in their power, and with those objects in view endeavour to be organised and prepared for any emergency.—l am, etc.. J. K. PRESTON, L. Lieutenant. : Adjutant "IV Squadron, Legion of Frontiersmen.