REMARKABLE PAGEANT.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVII, Issue 20668, 13 September 1930, Page 2 (Supplement)

REMARKABLE PAGEANT.

MUCH-PRIZED TREASURES.

BRITAIN'S OLDEST REGIMENT.

FOUR CENTURIES OF HISTORY.

Tho Honourable Ai*tillery Company—- " tho oldest reginiont in tho British Army, possibly tho oldest in tho world " —was house-proud on July 12. At its headquarters in Einsbury, London, it celebrated four centuries of history with a full dress military pageant.

With that urbane courtesy which has established its right to bo called a " company of gentlemen," tho regiment showed throngs of visitors tho treasures of Armoury House, including a raro 1560 suit of tilting armour, insured .for at least £20,000, and its famous " vellum book," containing illustrious signatures from the time of Charles ll.—even thoso of Samuel Pcpys and Christopher Wren.

Evory ono of the regiment's present 2000 members, whether city youth or city veteran, had to constituto himself learned antiquarian as well as gallant soldier for tho benefit of thoso to whom tho rich history of this corner of London, hard by equally historic Bunhill Fields, was unfamiliar.

The pageant, which was chiefly under tho direction of Major G. Goold Walker, D.5.0., oponod with an archery display, 1537, by gontlcmcn in Tudor doublot

and hose—members of tho Guild or Fraternity of Saint George, to whom a Charter to practice in Finsbury Fields was granted by bluff King Hal, and to whom the H.A.C. traces its obscure origin. Then followed, in picturesque succession, " Caliver-men," otherwise " Captains of tho Artillery Garden," of tho Spanish Armada days, a detachment of heavily-armoured pikemen and musketeers in leather jerkins of tho year 1641, when the company obtained possession of its present ground, and grenadiers of 1702 in buff coats braided with scarlet and crimson mitre hats.

All demonstrated drill book exercises of their period, which in tho case of the musketeers included loading and firing to no fewer than 30 distinct commands, and in that of the pikemen meant a sories of " postures " which must have taken an immense amount of time and patienco to

memorise. An artillery detachment of 1800. in great plumed helmets, and then tho dear old oleograph prints of ono's boyhood to the life in tho person of stalwarts of 1880 in white shell jackets and mut-ton-chop whiskers and carrying Snidor rifles—surely as pretty and ladylike a bunch of dandies as over went to war

with" three-cornered bayonots to tho tune of "Tommy Atkins" and with tho blessing of tho best Kiplingeso! Next "1900"—mounted gunners of the South African War in felt-hatted khaki: "1013" —pro-war full dress, with somo stolid slow-time drill. Thon our own little show, platoon matching out to rest billots after a spell in ihe trenches —and the mud, especially tho mud—to tho tunes—no longer so historic—of "Keep the Home Fires Burning" and "Pack Up Your Troubles."

Then "1915"—a fourteen-horse gun-team in sun-helmets taking tho sandy trail iu Palestine, with ono of "Allonby's white mice" for rearguard—one of those littlo Sudanese donkeys who' did thoi>' bit carrying officers' batmen, cooks, etc., when tho supply of horses and mules ran out. A fractious little- fellow at that, who raised laughs from tho spoctators because he wouldn't go tho way good donkeys should . . .