MILITARY PARADE

Evening Star, Issue 15478, 28 April 1914, Page 6

MILITARY PARADE

■ AT DUNEDIN TO-DAY. FOR INSPECTION BY GENERAL lAN HAMILTON.

■The parade of Garrison Artillery, Cadets, and'the New Zealand National Reserve for inspection by General Sir lan Hamilton, Inspector-General of the Oversea Forces, took place on the Oval this morning. The Cadets included companies from the country districts between Palmerston and Clinton. ’

A groat crowd of the public gathered whilst the preparations were being made. Probably the assemblage of civilians nWbered fully 5,000. They lined the footpaths and crowded the overlooking balconies and windows. Those who held tickets for the enclosures found themselves in a good place, and seats were provided for the ladies.

The weather,proved fine, no shower falling during the ceremony, though clouds sailed past and threatened. The Oval suited admirably the purposes of the parade. It was firm under the feet, except in a few places, and the grass was short, so that the men did not get wet feet.

■ The Hon. Jas. Allen, Minister of Defence, the Mayor (Mr Stewart), and Colonel Bauchop and Captain Hickey attended at the entrance awaiting the arrival of General Hamilton. He reached the ground at 9.55, being conveyed ..hither in a motor car by Major G. B. Bullock, Captain Acton Adams, and Captain Macgeorgo. General Hamilton was’ atended by Brigadiergeneral Ellison and Major Ashmore. General Godley was accompanied by Lieutenant Richmond and Lieutenant Rhodes.

Colonel Bauchop escorted the party to tlio field, where Captain Hickey (who planned the local arrangements) had the troops drawn np in lino of battalion under Major Dodds, of the Garrison Artillery. The review order placed the Garrison Artillery (Mr Allen’s old corps) on the right of the line, then the National Reserve, then the Cadets, and the ladies’ nursing corps to the left. Sir lan Hamilton was received with a general salute, and as be commenced to go through the lines the band of the Bth Regiment (Invercargill) strlick up a. quickstep. the playing continuing right through the inspection. The General spent a considerable time over the National Reserve. Whenever he saw a war medal he stopped and questioned the wearer as to his contingent and service, and. took a keen persona! interest in all the information thus supplied. Going through the lines of the Cadets the General was immensely pleased, and was not too stiff to say so. “ That is capital,” ho remarked of one corps, and “Steady as a rock” was another of his comments.

The inspection occupied nearly threequarters of an hour. While the brigade formed up for the march past. General Hamilton was introduced to the veterans, and spoke a few words to each. Air- Allen then introduced the members of Parliament present—Messrs 6. M. Thomson, T. K. Sidcy. R. Scott, and A. S. Malcolm—and the General shook hands with Miss Stewart (the Mayoress) and several other ladies. —The March Past.— The march past followed, the Bt.h Regimental Band and the bugles and drums alternately supplying the music. It was at this stage that the crowd got their close view, and the sight of the men and boys in motion created much interest, the marching being ’ greeted with applause. The public were particularly impressed with the soldierly bearing of the newlyformed New Zealand National Reserve, no fewer than 230, many of whom attended from districts outside Dunedin, being present under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel A. Stoneham. Their attendance was tangible proof of the popularity and usefulness of such a corps, and acted, no doubt, as an inspiration to the younger lads on parade. As the reservists marched past the saluting base they were warmly applauded, and on all sides surprise was expressed at the high state of efficiency which they had attained in so short a time.

A distinct feature of the parade (they, ■of course, did not join in the march) was the presence of a ladies’ nursing corps of St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas, in charge of Corps Superintendent Miss J. D. Hooper (Hon. Serving Sister of the Order of St. John Jerusalem in England). The corps, which looked well in the conventional nurse uniform, comprised three divisions, with officers, as follows Dunedin Nursing Division (Divisional Superintendent, Mrs W. Forrester), 3 officers and 16 sisters; Green Island Nursing Division (Divisional Superintendent, Mrs E. J. Reeve), one sister; and Cavevsham Division (Superintendent, Miss Mackersy), 2 officers and 13 sisfers.

—Presentation of Trophies.—

The Cadets, who in the musketry course won prizes as the best shots in each companv, were then called up to receive their trophies. A bugle to the Boys’ High School Cadets was for company shooting; the other prizes for individual shooting. Hie list was as follows:

Company Shooting.—O.B.H.S. Cadets, L. Ritchie, A. MTnnes, D. N. Park, and G. M‘Curdy. Individual Shooting.—Engineer Cadets, G. E. Holt; Caversham, Macdonald; St. Hilda, Shrimpton; N.E. Valley, H. T. T. Dunn; Roslya, W. Crockett; Port Chalmers, J. M. Tait; South Dunedin, A. J. F. Smith; Telegraph, H. C. Grace; Hibernian, R. Walsh; Mornington, D, A. Marr; North Dunedin, W. J. Jarvis; West Dunedin, 0. H. Brown; Green Island, F. A. Crisp; Otago Harbor, H. Fiddis; Technical School, W. J. Sawers; Christian Brothers, W. Fonhy; Waihemo, W. Hall;' Strath Taieri, A. J. Taylor; Maniototo, B. F. Simonsen; Matakanui, J. Begg; Goldfields, A. Fraser; Kawarau, R. C. Bruce; Bruce, F. Allan; Tuapeka, F. H. Matthews; Teviot, F. M'Donald; Clinton, L. Fyfe; Clutha, V. Cuff; Gatlins, F. J. Hear. —The General’s Address.—

The troops then formed three sides of a square, the officers lined up in front, and General Hamilton thus addressed them : Major Dodds, officers, non-commissioned officers, men, reservists, and cadets,—l should like to-day .to talk a few words to the cadets. They are by far the majority here. The first tiling I want to say is as to what impresses me most, and that is the stamina and physique of the young fellows I have seen to-day. An old British general once rather coarsely said that the winning thing in war is guts rather than brains. There is something of that, I assure you, in the sort of war that we call the struggle of life. You are starting well equipped in physique for what you have to do. The second thing I would like to say is that I am very _ pleased with the parade—with the steadiness in. the ranks and the way you marched past. Even the corps that came from far-off districts —what we may call made-up companies—pulled themselves together and went by with a good swing and fine steadiness. The third thing I have to say is with regard to the whole moral aspect of,this question. Yon are preparing yourselves, cadets—and all of you, in faetd—to defend ydur country. There are some very good men, amongst them some of the best in the State, who think that the best way of avoiding danger is not to prepare for it, but to try to avoid it, I want you boys and you officers to think of the true position. I do not want to try to persuade you in this matter, but I ask vou to use your brains and examine that proposition for yourselves. When the Tsar of Russia thoroughly believed that war was impossible, he having read works .to prove that it was so, the RussoJapanese War followed, and, as you know, it proved to be one of the bloodiest that ever took place. To-day, if you read the papers, you will see that President Wilson, of the United States, one of the best men in, that country, one of the greatest possivists we ever saw—a man who loathes war and the preparation for it—appears to be on .the point of being fatally ■ dragged into war. Therefore my point of view is this : that you do not avoid war by pretending that there is no such thing and by hiding from it. In this wicked world you have to face the facts and be ready to hold what you have sot. and

when the xes/t qf'vtho ’wofld. sees that you are eo ready, ami lave persuaded that you mean tq there ’frill be no wax with you. I nave only to eay a°;ain that I am much pleased the whole parade. The parade state in detail was as> follows:—Permanent Staff—Otago Boys’ High School, battalion commander. Lieutenant J. Pow; No. 1 Company (Lieutenant T. G. Robertson), 91 men; No. 2 (Lieutenant E; W. White), 99 men; No. 3 {Lieutenant H. W. O. Slater), 99 men; and No. 80 (Lieutenant C. Littlejohn), 98 men; battalion totalling 387 on parade. No. 2 Company New' Zealand Garrison Artillery (Captain J H. Crawford); other officers. Captains G. S. Sandle, R.N.Z.A. (Staff), and W. H. Borrie, N.Z.M.C., and Lieutenants J. C. Braithwaite, G. F. M'Kellar, W. J. Mitchell, totalling 57 men. No. 4 Company (Post and Telegraph, Captain W. J. Worthington), and Lieutenants A. G. Williams and J P. O’Sullivan. No. 2 Battalion (Group XIII., Cadets), commander, Major D. Murray. Engineer Cadets, Lieutenants E. 6. Waite and C. R. Sargood, 80 ’men;- Caversham, Lieutenant B. S Hardy, 85; St. Kilda, Lieutenants F. R. Brown and J. B. Austin, 65; Northeast YaUsy- Lieutenants D. Bell and A. Bracks, 61 ; Roslyn, Lieutenant E. H. Walcott and H. K. Sare, 61; Port Chalmers, Lieutenants R. M. Watson and W. Crawford, 78; South Dunedin, Lieutenant J. Ward, 68; and Telegraph Office, Lieutenant B. E. Eggleston, 14 men ; totalling 513 men. No. 3 Battalion (commanding. Captain Hussey), Hibernian, 92: Mornington, Lieuten ants Bishop and Barnett ,66; North Dunedin, Lieutenants MTlroy and MTherson, 93 ; West Dunedin, 61; Green Island, Lieutenant Reed. 35; Otago Harbor, Lieutenants Hunt, Sefton, and Cuthbert, 71; Technical School, 63; and Christian Brothers, Lieutenant O’Sullivan, 63; making a total of 544. No. 4 Battalion (commanding, Captain Turnbull, N.Z.S.C.), Waihemo 29, Strath Taieri 8. Maniototo 20, Matakanui 13, Goldfields 19, Kawarau 9, Mosgiel 60. and Taieri 19; totalling 177. The hand of the Bth Regiment, under Lieutenant Lithgow. numbered 31 strong, and the parade of the Cadet Band was 22. The New Zealand National Reserve, 230 of all ranks, Lieutenant-colonel A. Stoneham in command. No. 1 Company : Major Crawford, Captain W. T. Monkman, Lieutenant K. Melville. No. 2 Company: Captain Hazlett, Lieutenant Park, Lieutenant J. D. Cameron. No. 3 Company: Lieutenant Street, Captain J. MTndoe, Captain A. Cameron, Lieutenant C. S. White, ' No. 4 Company; Lieutenants M’Kenzie and Nelson. Tho grand total on parade at the Oval was 255 officers (including N.C.O.s) and 2,410 men.