MILITARY DISPLAY

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 8750, 4 June 1914, Page 8

MILITARY DISPLAY

KING’S BIRTHDAY PARADE SIB lAN HAMILTON INSPECTS THE TEOOPS. A fine morning and a gentle in which the bracing traces of, winter’s nip were just' pleasantly noticeable, added to the attractions which the panoply of military exhibitions, always hold for me people, lured many thousands yesterday morning to Newtown Park, where the swords and bayonets of some 1418 officers and territorials gleamed in the sunshine. The King’s Birthday parade, and the inspection of the Wellington troops by General Sir lan Hamilton (Inspector General of the Overseas Forces) formed as impressing and pleasing a military spectacle as Wellington has enjoyed for many years past. Since the territorial scheme has been in operation a more complete establishment of the citizen army has never been paraded for the edification and education of those people whose immunity from personal service has, perhaps, placed them out of touch with the steady but certain progress that all constituent units have made towards the formation bf a complete and efficient, if somewhat small, army. From the army service corps, which busies itself in preparing the soldiers’ house in the field, to the Amublance Corps and t*ie Brigade of Nursing Sisters, the presentation was complete. There were mounteds (minus their horses), infantry, engineers, artillery, the signallers, and all the others. The Fifth Regiment) complete with its prided band and jealous-ly-guarded ooloure, marching with admirable swing and precise step, bespoke a complete entity, conscious of its growing perfection. There was something in the orderly panorama on the basin that told the multi-coloured throng on the hillside that below them was a little army, 1 as complete in essentials and perhaps as affluent in capabilities, as any they had viewed on that ground before. On the northern end of the ground, .conspicuous in blue uniforms and helmets with glittering facings, were the Royal New Zealand Artillery (Berra ament Force), 78 strong. Next was No. 1 Battalion, comprising A Squadron Mounted Rafles, 50 strongj Garrison Artillery Division, 166 strong; No. 4 Company Field Engineers, 76 strong; Signal Company,' 29 strong; Post and Telegraph Corps, 105 strong. Then came No. 2 Battalion —sth (Wellington) Regiment, 454 strong; Army Service Corps, 17 strong; No. 4 Company Field Ambulance, 60 strong. Further up the ground, their significant array of medals telling what their mufti clothes did not, were 72 i excontingenters, under Major Halpin and Captain Clarke (adjutant) . Near , the saluting base, over which the Union Jack fluttered, were a section of - the Wellington Corps of the St. John Ambulance Brigade Overseas (re.presented by members of the Wellington South Nursing Division with Lady Superintendent Mi's Preston in charge). There were also present a number of veterans—the remnants of armies that had paraded long ago. On the hill, over Roy street, were the, D Battery and their 15-pounders with blank ammunition ready for the can-' nonade of joyous celebration. At tbe saluting base was General Sir lan Hamilton, accompanied by Brigadier-General Ellison and Major Ashmore (his staff officers), the Hon. James Allen (Minister for Defence); Major-General Godley (Commandant of the Forces) and his staff, and Colonel Porter, who was in command of the seventh and ninth contingents in South Africa. Colonel G. F. C. Campbell, officer commanding the Wellington Coast Defences, was in charge of the parade, with Captain ,F. Symon, R.N.Z.A., as staff officer. I Lieut.-Colonel Harton' commanded the First Battalion, and Lieut.-Colonel C. Harcourt Turner the second. Staff-Sergeant-Major Parke? wad brigade sergeant-major. . At 9.30 a.m. the troops had been drawn up in readiness, facing the saluting bate on the west side of the ground. The 'flag broke from the staff head", the rifles swung to the salute, the bank struck up the National Anthem, and with the guns of the battery sending down their clamorous detonations, the display commenced. The inspection followed, and then the march-past—in column and then quarter column. . Recent rains had softened the ground, and left the surface slippery and treacherous. Near the saluting base marching was difficult, but the men did* splendidly,; and the people applauded the excellence of their performance. Filially the troops advanced in review order, and concluded with three cheers for the King, elevating their hats upon their bayonets in the customary manner. General Hamilton afterwards presented a sixteen years’ New Zealand long service medal to Sergeant T. W. Brown, of the D Battery, who served with the First Contingent in South Africa, and already holds the twelve years’ long service medal. ■