GERM OF AN ARMY.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 25 October 1924, Page 15

GERM OF AN ARMY.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AGO. FIRST NEW ZEALAND MOUNTED RIFLES. SOUTH AFRICA: 1899-1900-1901. Nelson "Day is the beginning or everything, as far as the modern British Navy is concerned. As a navy must have a nucleus, so must an army, and, from the point of view of land defence, Nelson Day i s an anniversary in New Zealand, of some importance, ior it was on that day,, twenty-five years ago, the first New Zealand troops to be dispatched overseas on active service, left Wellington by the Waiwera for Capetown (says a writer in the Wellington Post). The first New Zealand Contingent was the genesis of the New Zealand fighting forces, both of 1899 and of 1914. The New Zealand troops were the first colonial troops to land, with the exception of the New South Wales Lancers, who had been lying in London undergoing cavalry training. It was because they were so near Africa that they were in the field first. The first New Zealand Mounted Rifles were in action at Rensburg in December, 1899, as were tlie New South Wales Lancers, who subsequently discarded lance and sword and became mounted rifles. ' A SMALL UNIT. The little corps, which was mobilised at Karon, Wellington, was selected irom already trained cavalry or mounted riflemen, and all others were rejected. The total strength was 214 officers, nons-coms, and men, although as the years go by and more of the original strengtn die, those who claim to have belonged, grow in numbers. An authority computes that, of the 214 in the original corps, of whom 62 are dead, several thousand still remain, if one accepts claims of those who declare themselves part of “the smallest regiment in British history.” The corps was equipped in about a fortnight, and had some strenuous training at Karori. The men were magnificently mounted, and commanded by Major A. W. Robin, then of the Otago Hussars, now Major-General Sir A. W. Robin. C. 8., who commanded the forces in New Zealand for so;! many years, and has now retired. The corps was trained by the late Captain U." P. Rogers, formerly of the Sixteenth -Lancers, who was the regimental sergeant-major. He accompanied the corps to Africa, and had the reputation of being one of the finest cavalry instructors in the Empire’s service. The second in command was Captain R. Hutton. Davies, afterwards for many years of the British Army and General commanding a brigade in the retirement .from MonsGeneral Davies, in civil life, had been a surveyor, practising for some years in Hawera. He was the son of a wellknown English journalist. Genera: Davies died in England of pneumonia supervening on his experiences ir France. - Other officers were Captain W. N. R. Madocks; then in New Zealand, from the Royal Artillery. He if was who behaved with singular and gallant devotion at New Zealand Hill, personally killing the Boer commandant and commanding the l T orkshires and the New Zealanders, who repulsed one of the bravest attacks ever made by the enemy. Hero of New Zealand Hill, Captain Madocks commanded a brigade of ar tillery in the Great War, and was promoted to Major-General. It is of interest that lie married a daughter o’ the late Sir Walter Duller, the distinguished New Zealand naturalist. Captain H. D. 0. Ward was an officer of the First New Zealand Mounted Rifles, also from the Royal Artillery. He was an aide-de-camp in. New Zealand, and immediately asked for specia: employment. He was esteemed as one of the coolest and most intrepid men who left New Zealand. He had distinguished service in the Great War and is now a Major-General. Captain E. Bartlett, D. 5.0.. was another officer who had a remarkable facility for veldi fighting. He was a Hawera man, greatly esteemed for his courage, and with an unusual eye for country. He settled down at Boksburg in the Transvaal, and again fought in German East Africa with Botha’s Forces. He also had some striking adventures with the Chinese coolies, who ran amok in Johannesburg, the set-tiers having tc stand armed attacks of these men who were of the large, lusty .variety. Another officer of special interest it Colonel J. Gethin Hughes,- C.M.G., D. 5.0., who greatly distinguished himself. He joined as a trooper and was promoted from sergeant to lieutenant ir the field. He, with a small body o N.Z.M.R.. saved a section of guns in the vicinity of Colesberg, when r squadron of Eleventh Hussars were forced to abandon them. He command, ed the Canterbury Regiment in the Great War.

Lieutenant M. E. Lindsay, quite a young man, was especially esteemed for his capacity and coolness. He was exchanged, lace in the South African War, into the Seventh Dragoon Guards, and has since served in many theatres of war. He was adjutant of his regiment, and a very notable sportsman, the crack polo player of the corps, and a- terror among the tigers in India. Colonel Lindsay married a- Miss Riduiford, daughter of the well-known Wairavapa land-owner. Of the men in the ranks, many have since achieved field sank. Colonel George Mitchell, D. 5.0., formerly a Wellington M.P.. was a trooper. He won his distinctions in the Great War and was permanently injured. Major kdwin Harrowed. who was the second in command of the Auckland Infantry Regiment in Egypt, and was very severely wounded, was a sergeant of the First N.Z.M.R. , WHAT OF THE MEN ? Colonel H. 'Whyte, D. 5.0., D.C.M., -General Staff Officer, First Grade, of Palmerston North, was the youngest recruit to- join. He was a*Post Office cadet in Auckland at the time. Major H. W. Smith, who commanded the combined Australian and New Zealand Anzac Transport in Egypt, and wh.-, distinguished himself on Gallipoli, was a- trooper in the First. He also fought in the Natal Rehellion, and has had. in all. seven years’ war service. Another trooper was the late Lieutenant Tivv Eminerson, who was killed on Gallipoli, a very gallant gentleman, incapable of fear. He battled in the breakers at Napier for 3 5 minutes to ■save a drowning women, but was uuabla to save her life. He brought Imr nshote dead. He laid down his h’fe on Gallipoli. Of the remnant of the First Contingent, 1.10 became officers A tro'V'er. A. Le Costo Bartrnn. p majo’ 1 of police on the Ram'. He v ic in /••havge of the police during th° mining riot---. A trooper, C. Enderhy was detailed as stnlion■'Me>• in Pr°-'i-i'a d'-rijKr Go’\ r !'he Into .T. Thorne, also a t v eop. i'i the corps, greatlv dist’ugr-'<die<r himself as a civil engineer in South

Africa, after his war service was finished. He solved the problem of a, difficult railway deviation from Watervan 1 Onder to Boven/after other distinguished engineers had given it up. The late Mr. Thorpe (who died in New Zealand during the great epidemic) had remarkable subsequent success as a railway engineer in China, and often had to organise his gangs to fight bands of raiders. An officer of the corps was Mr. Neave, who had joined the Imperial Army. He was early transferred, and was extremely popular with the “Tommies” of his regiment, for he was fearless and a splendid sportsman. He was killed at Paardeburg, while standing up in a trench to observe the enemy’s line. Auckland men -who belonged to the First include M. Kirkbride, son of the late Mr Matthew Kirkbride. M.P.,Mi*. •John Montgomerie, also of Mangere, H. F. Butler, of St. Helier’s, A. Newdick, and T. Taylor, both of Ponsonby, A. C. Pawson (publisher of the Auckland Star), G. Mann (formerly proprietor of Mansion House; Ivawauj, E. Nops, StHelier’s Day, J. Mewburn, of the Railnays, and E. J. R. Smith, of Parnell. Nat Curtain, of Messrs. A. W. Wright and Co., and W. Harris, of- Mount Eden, who was saddler sergeant. The hate Keith Gorrie and Tom Gaudin, of this corps, were Auckland men. WHAT FRENCH THOUGHT.

The First New Zealand Mounted Rifles were regarded by General Sir John French (now Lord Ypres) with special affection, although previously he had expressed contempt * for soldiers who were not permanent and professional. He declared this corps to be composed of the best horsemen he had ever used and experimented with them to the extent of trying a bayonet charge on horseback. He regarded it as of little value, although the First N.Z. M. on occasions, charged with cavalry of the line. The corps covered many thousands of miles in the parts of three years it was in Africa and was constantly fighting. Its record was fourteen fights in thirteen days. With the First Queensland M.R. the First N. were the first troops into Kimberley, having made a ~ forced march over burning veldt and through thovnbush. It fought in the actions of Paardeburg, and was distinguished for its action at Sanna’s Post, where Christian De Wet and Botha trapped a large British force and captured hundreds of prisoners and miles of supplies.' Seventeen New Zealanders were captured here. The corps fought at- Johannesburg, Reit Vlei, Tigerpoort. Taiboschlaagte, Orange River, and many other places, and was in French’s unparalled forced march over the great mountain to Barberton on the Swaziland border. The march is -aid to he one of the cavalry feats of British history. Only selected men and horses were used. New Zealand troops held Barberton for six weeks.

Webington men of the First are Captain J. F. Roekstrow, of Defence Headquarters. son of the late Dr. Roekstrow. A atson Brown, now of the Agricultural Department, was the first man into Kimberley. Mr. Brown served also with the N.Z.E.F. in the Great War. The farrier-major of the First was A. Cromie, now an artificer in the Wellington tramways, and another First who is now a tramway official is A. Blitters. John -Cook, a wool expert employed by the Agricultural Department, now of Island Bay, A. A. C. Wiflfen, of Wadestown, Malcolm M’Cnllum, of Ngahuranga, and A. Hastie. of Ngaio, were all troopers in the little corps. R Witheford. of the Treasury; joined the corps in the field. A- trooper of the First, who was heard a good deal of was C. Blenkhorn, now solicitor of Levin, and for many years Mie Mayor of that town. He served ’n later contingents as an officer, distinguishing himself by his ready resource and intrepidity.■*_ SIX THOUSAND WOMEN.

There were six thousand Boer women in Barberton, whose husbands were lighting. .No disorders of any kind took place after, the first day, and the whole place was most amicably run. The first man in Barberton was Captain Barney Todd, of Auckland, and afterwards a Brigadier-General in the Australian Imperial Forces. Captain Todd was given the D.S.O. for the Barberton work. On tlie completion of tlieir services the corp returned to- New Zealand, and one hundred men of the ranks were recommended for commissions. Most of these men returned to South Africa, in later regiments. On the troopship returning .from South Africa, an association was formed, and has been in existence ever since. Survivors meet every year in Wellington on 21st October.‘or* on the nearest suitable date. During the whole of the time since the return of the,Fiyst Cont’ngent a paper has been periodically published, containing matters of interest to the- members of the association. Since 1911 the Bulletin bus "een published in Auckland. Claude L. Jewell has been editor of the publication and secretary of the association for 23 years.