CORPS REUNION

Evening Post, Issue 11, 13 July 1936, Page 17

CORPS REUNION

MACHINE-GUNNERS

OLD COMRADES MEET

A reunion of ex-members of the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps was held in the R.S.A. rooms on' Saturday night. Major R. D. Hardie, D.5.0., presided over a large attendance and many war-time friendships were renewed. A feature of the reunion was that Machine Gun Corps badges were issued to ex-members of the corps, this scheme having been inaugurated by Major L. S. Cimino.

Major Hardie spoke of the work of the machine gunners, not only on the Western Front but in Egypt and Palestine. He paid tribute to the work of Colonel Rose, Major Wallingford, and Major Henderson, "the fathers of the Machine Gun Corps," and regretted the fact that they were unable to attend the gathering.

Major J. H. Luxford, in proposing "Absent Comrades," said he had been honoured with a toast which not even the most eloquent could properly propose. He emphasised Major Hardies remarks in reference to the "fathers" of the Machine Gun Cops. They had had a hard struggle before the war, he said, for in those days the machinegun had not been looked on favourably by G.H.Q., it having often failed in critical moments.

Lieut-Colonel A. Cowles, V.D., in proposing "The Machine Gun Corps," said he was proud to propose such a toast. The machine-gunners had only been properly organised after the war had started, but only the pick of the men had been taken. He referred to their operations in Palestine and mentioned the work of the mounted ma-" chine-gunners.

Colonel Cowles also mentioned the work of Major-General Sir Andrew Russell, whose portrait it was proposed to hang in the National Art Gallery. He hoped that at the same time they would be able to present a portrait of Major-General Sir Edward Chaytor, whose services as. a leader had been invaluable to the unit..

In his reply Major Hardie said that the machine-gun unit was to him, and always would be, the' best unit in which to serve either on .the Western Front or in Palestine. It had a great record of service and accomplishment. At the beginning of the war 'there had been only four British machine-guns to every sixteen possessed by Germany. At Messines the New Zealand Machinegun Cops had been the second to carry out a barrage, and later Earl Haig, when inspecting the Corps, said he was very conscious of the work of the New Zealand machine-gunners. ■ Major McLean and Lieutenant Hopkins also replied. Other toasts honoured were "Other Units" and "Major Hardie." Major Luxford, in a brief speech, said that it was the first reunion of machinegunners in Wellington, and he hoped they would be able to make it an annual event. He: made special reference to a gallant member of the 3rd Machine-gun Company,'the aviator, Mr. Pat O'Hara, who recently lost his lifr Always full of ambition, he had helped to put New Zealand on the map. During the evening items were contributed by Messrs. Rowarth, Histed, J. Osborne, and A. Mazengarb.