A CITIZENS' FLAG

Evening Post, Volume CXXII, Issue 96, 20 October 1936, Page 7

A CITIZENS' FLAG

SOUTH AFRICAN WAR

FINAL RESTING-PLACE

Some irritation was created in Octo ber,' 1899, when the military authorities refused to allow the citizens of Wellington to present a flag to the South African Contingent which departed on Saturday, October 21: It was pointed out at the time that it was contrary to regulations for a mounted infantrycorps to , carry colours. The late Mrs._ Seddon was asked to unfurl, the littj, on the troopship Waiwera - as . tha steamer. was about £o depart, &?£& 'Z it was not actually carried by the corpsduringi'its'campaign in the Transvaal, but even this' was refused.

The citizens' 'flag : was obtained by the initiative of Messrs; F. Cohen, J. B. Innes, and H. Fielder, all well-known business men in Wellington in their .day, ;and they, arranged/for the collections to pay for the flag. The cost was borne.by a great number of citizens,, and on their; behalf, the small committee decided to, ask.'the Mayor (Mr. J. R. Blair) to: take charge of it until some method could ■be' arranged for its suitable disposal. This the Mayor agreed to do, and the flag, until recently, has been stored in the CityCorporation's archives.

Members of the- South African Contingent recently made a request to Mr. Hislop, the present Mayor of Wellington, that the flag should be handed over to them, and that at a suitable ceremony it should be. placed in St. Mary's Church, Karori. To this request Mr. Hislop ; has .'acceded, and the flag will be hung-in St. Mary's- Church tomorrow afternoon,- and, at the [tim,e,. a t tablet will be unyeiled'tp the memory of those of ail ranks who fell during the South African War.