AFRICAN VELDT

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 18, 19 October 1936, Page 14

AFRICAN VELDT

WAR MEMORIES

OLD SOLDIERS' REUNION

Over thirty years ago many hundreds of New Zealanders left the country for service in South Africa. On Saturday night less than a hundred of them met again, but in entirely different circumstances. The occasion was the annual reunion of the South African War Veterans' Association. The passing of the years has not dimmed the memory of events on the African veldt, and besides renewing friendships, in many cases made during the rattle of rifle fire, reminiscences were exchanged by the old soldiers. With the assistance of his officers, Captain J. J. Clark, president of the Wellington branch of the association, maintained discipline throughout. Apologies for absence were received from Major-General Sir William Sin-clair-Burgess, the Hon. W. Perry, M.L.C., Dominion president of the R.S.A., Colonel Cowles, president of the Wellington R.S.A., and others. The chairman said that the occasion was a memorable one, for it marked the silver jubilee reunion of the assoiciation. The association was formed in 1911, and it was gratifying to see such a large attendance. It was thirtytwo years since they were associated in South Africa, and it would appear from the roll call that that association would never die. He hoped that when it came to the golden jubilee there would still be' a good number round the table. (Laughter from the more bald-headed and silver-haired veterans.) The toast of the "R.S.A. and Kindred

Associations" was proposed by Mr. J. I. Goldsmith, who said that the South African veterans owed a great deal to the Returned Soldiers' Association. As their representative on the executive of the R.S.A. he knew the good will that was extended to African war veterans. But for the returned men of the Great War the South African veterans would not have participated in the War Veterans Allowance Act. As a result of representations ' made to the Government by the R.S.A., South African war veterans were now on the same footing as members of the major association. In conjunction with the South African Veterans' Association, the R.S.A. intended to approach the I Government again with a view to all men who served overseas in the South African War participating under the War Allowances' Act. Mr. Goldsmith also paid a tribute to the services rendered and the ideals maintained by the Legion of Frontiersmen. The toast was replied to by Captain T. J. I. Thomson, representing the Legion of Frontiersmen; Sergeant-Major-A. Collins, president of the Hutt Valley branch of the South African War Veterans' Association; and Major P. de Bath Brandon, a member of the Dominion executive of the association. DUTY WELL DONE. Captain Thomson said that the Legion of Frontiersmen had many things in common with the South African war veterans, as it was,this band of old soldiers who laid the foundation stone of the Legion. As frontiersmen and loyal subjects of the Empire they were carrying on the ideals so admirably set down. The organisation he represented regarded the South African war veterans as the men who had done their duty and pulled their weight in the interests of the Empire. "Absent Comrades" was proposed by Captain F. C. Bishop,- a past president of the Wellington branch, and the "Army, Navy, and Air Force" by Colonel Mabin.' " The Army, Navy, and Air Force, said Colonel Mabin, consisted of the finest men in the British Empire. In the three units, however, there must be co-operation, for if this position did not obtain it would mean the disintegration of the great Commonwealth of Nations. With others, Colonel Mabin paid a glowing tribute to the splendid performance of Miss Batten in flying in record time from England to Australia and her subsequent .flight across the Tasman. Replies to the toast were made by Major St. John Keenan, Mr. R. J. Harris, and Mr. E. E. Dean. Early in the evening an "armistice" of ten minutes was held, during which those present had an opportunity of recalling incidents of the famous campaign and toasting one another's health. The roll was also called, and with only one exception each veteran present recited his regimental number and the force or contingent he served with. ._ Artists for the evening were Messrs. I. H. Smith, R. Bouvrie, K. Rigby, J. Histed, and T. Bolhson.