THE TWENTY-NINTHS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 3 May 1917, Page 3

THE TWENTY-NINTHS.

MOBILISED YESTERDAY. ENTHUSIASTIC SEND-OFF. The Grey mouth and district men of the Twenty-ninth .Reinforcements, mobilised yesterday, were given an enthusiastic sendoff at the Town Hall, (ireymouth, yesterday afternoon- The hall was well filled, and among those present were about 150 men in khaki who had marched in from the casual camp at Omoto io attend the farewell. Mr J. D. Lynch, the newly-elected Mayor of Greymouth presided, and the Patriotic Association, Borough Council and military officers were well represented on the platform. The proceedings opened with the National Anthem, after which addresses were delivered by llm Mayor, Colonel Chaffey (Staff Officer for Canterbury Division) and Captain-Chaplain Carter, Miss Vera Hannan contributing’ a martial solo with spirit and excellent expression, and for which she received a hearty encore. Altogether the function passed off very pleasantly and successfully. A noticeable feature, in the matter of applause, being the very 1 high respect of the men from i Omoto camp for their worthy and < popular Colonel, this too not with- 1 standing that the Colonel let t

0 - ' - ' ' * them into the secret that he had occasion to “slate”, the men in camp that morning. THid SPEECHES. The Mayor (Mr Lynch) said that between 40 and 50 men would leave tin’s district for Trent ham on the morrow, making a total of 2,400 sent forward from the West Coast. That was a very fine record- The Coast had done extremely well in the matter of recruiting. and on a population basis would compare favourably with any other part of New Zealand. Ho was pleased to note that the Allies' armies on the •Western front were doing' well and that the Germans were being’ pushed back, thus bringing the day of peace nearer at band- They were winning and would most assured! v win, but they would have to fight, and if the boys that day going forward got into the thick of it they would do their bit. They were proud of the hoys who had gone as well as those now going to tight for a glorious peace and victory over the desecrating Hun. A German paper bad sneered at little New Zealand as a handful of people who could do nothing, but bad since learned to their cost of the stuff the men from New Zealand were made of. New

Zealand could help m many ways, in food production and in making certain that our Navy is provided with coal- (Applause). They had the coal in the country and were not goii\g to allow it to be tied up by a small and antagonistic organisation. who said (hat coal was not to he got. (Applause). Ho knew the feeling of the community, and lie also knew tile feeling of some-ot the men working in the coal mines,' many of whom were loyal, but, unfortunately, bad to full into line at the, dictates of parly leaders, who had had the audacity to say that there would be no more coal until the Conscription Act is repealed. They bad bad a conscription tight hero in Greymouth and in Christchurch. " The result was a glorious win- It showed the. loyalty of the people and that the boys going

forward would receive flu? necessary backing' nj> to keep the war going. (Applause)- The speaker referred to the gallant deeds of the Anzacs at Gallipoli and asked what could be more thrilling or more glorious than the account of the deeds of the men aboard the Swift and Broke in the recent destroyer fight in the Channel, it was such heroic deeds, fought with bulldog tenacity, that made

one feel lie would like to shake hands with those Britishers fighting - on the seas. Mr Lynch concluded in wishing the Twentyninths a safe journey and Godspeed. Colonel Ch alley, who is on an official visit to these parts and who received an enthusiastic reception, said lie was not used to public oratory, but was immediately on good terms with his audience- He said he felt confident that there was no more loyal place in the Dominion than Grey mouth (applause). _ He said this advisedly and in doing so recounted the early days of recruiting on tlie West Coast, when men came from all parts and tumbled over each other to offer their services for King and country- 1 hey had not only filled the district quotas, but had made up shortages at other (daces- “Then some now had the cheek to say that the Coast was short!” Because of the rancorous vnpourings of n few the West Coast had a bad name, i

which could safely be brushed aside and the Coast said to be loyal- (Applause)- The Col one I said the men from the Coast were of the right metal ami a belter lot no officer could wish for. lie referred to the work of the West Coast miner at the front- To the boys leaving he would say +} t irs would be no child’s play; its a I ig job and they would , carry the honour of those gone before them-. Battles were won mainly on discipline and bravery- Some men at Gallipoli and elsewhere bad gone 100 far in their zeal, bad. exceeded their orders, and were unnecessarily cut up. ,At Tr» utlnuu and Featherston they would meet with some of (he best an structors in the world an I woul.'l soon get into the swing of it and join a good and loyal lot. lie felt it a great honour to have had the privilege of saying a few wmds to the hoys-Chaplain-Caplain Carter addressed his remarks to men leaving- They were to he congratulated and appreciated for Mm work they were going In do- The speaker recalled (he words of Captain-Chaplain Green at Gallipoli, in answer to a request- “ Don’t give it us too hot,” the reply being, “You’ll gel i( hot enough, hut look up.” The latter two words formed the text of ?xperiences at Gallipoli- The speaker concluded with the words if Colonel Chaffey, “Be men, keep yourselves lit,” and look to < \ Bower outside themselves to timl

help and meed in an extremity. The men of the Twenty-ninths as those from Omoto camp were afterwards entertained at afternoon tea by the Ladies’ Committee in the Soldiers’ club rooms, the proceedings at the hall concluding with the National Anthem. LEFTTO-OAY. EORTY ODD MENThe Twenty-ninths left this inorumg by the (Mira express and were cheered bv a large crowd as the train pulled out from the station. The Westport men arrived in Grevmnutb last evening and the Hokitika draft by the through express this morningThe following are the names of the Twenty-ninths who left to-day for camp:— ARTILLERY. Colvin, A. C., Westport Delaney, R. A., Greyniouth MOf’NTKD RIFLES. Hanrahan, Pi. I’., Greymouth Hardie, Thus. H. J., Stockton MeCaskill, Hugh A. A.. Westport -VcWlia, Robert John, Murchison INFANTRY. Trammer, F„, Blackball Breeze, E. \V., Hokitika Burley, Win. J., Reef Lon Carey, P. J.. Howard (Murchison).

D;ivies, J. A,, Hokitika Kriesen, Walter, Hokitika Galvin, P.J., Westport Garrett, J. 11., Greymouth Hamilton, 'J'. 11., Westport Hepburn, J, J., Westport Holmes, Hugh,' DeimisUm Johnstone. James, Waimnugatoa Jones, Alt" Win., Aliauru Lambertoo, Win. («.. Nobles Lawn, John, Reefton Lloyd, Percy, Hokitika Mai vis, S. If., Westport Maseknini, Jules, Ngahem Mirfin, Ashton, Ikamalna MiHin, George, lkamat.ua Morris, Win., Hokitika Moran, John. Grey month McDonald, Alex., Nakawan Pnllar. James, Dennistoa Reid, A. G., Fairduwn Reiily, Michael, Greymouth Robertson, S. lE, No Town Roberts, Wm. A., Reefton Stephenson, I’. J. S., Parua Smith, F., Hokitika Wallace. Ruber), Ahanra Ward, Waiter L., Demiiston Wells, Andrew R.. Rallied Wills. Alfred. Reefton

\ > lii rs > numij luriiuu AMROLANTF. McCVimhio, It- H. R., Oranily McNeill, Win., Moonlight, ARMV SKRVtCK CORPS. - Cjojip, C. IS. IX, Hokitika