A NOTABLE REUNION

New Zealand Times, Volume XLIX, Issue 11226, 3 June 1922, Page 8

A NOTABLE REUNION

THE TWENTY-FIRST YEAR MOUNTED RIFLES. / SOUTH AFRICAN VETERANS. At Dustin’s rooms last night was held a reunion of the South African Veterans of .the Sixth Contingent of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles. Captain F. E. Beamish was in the chair, the honorary secretary, Mr G. EL Taylor, officiating as toast-master. The fono\yin<r comrades were present S : Howe, Kitnqy, Paulstadt, Pcscini, Mor- , ris. Chant, A. Johns, F. Stringer, C. Quill, JI. dark, R. Burns, P. Morins, W. Davey, W. Tucker, W. Winter, J. Robertson, 11. Strangmuir, J. W. M. Brown, R. L. Evatt, J. Goode, W. Marshall. T. Brown, C. Stewart, O. Bagent, J. Philp, T. Quill, J. Bi*yben, J. McCoil, P. Luxford, G. Collins, J. Martindalo, W. R. Wright, C. E». Josephson, and P. Fahey. There were also present as the honoured guests of the evening—Lieut.Colonel E. J. Ilulbert, D. 5.0., and Captain T. Wilkes. After an excellent dinner provided by Dustin’s, the toast, "His Majesty/’ vas proposed by the chairman. A convivial evening was then thoroughly enjoyed by the comrades,’ punctuated by the following' further toasts: —"Absent Comrades” (W. Tucker), "Navy, Army, and Air borce ’ (Lieut.-Colonel Hulbert), replied to bv Captain Wilkes;, "Fallen Comrades” (F. B. Beamish). "The Boys of the Great War” (Arthur Jonson). The speech of the evening was* unMouhtedly that of Captain T. Wilkes, secretary of the Air Board and staff officer of the N.Z. Air Service, who, in the course of his remarks, spoke 'hopefully of the prospects of an Air Service in this country. Captain Wilkes was an officer of Lord headquarters staff and a member of the amalgamated R.F.C, and R.N.A.S., and his remarks were received with enthusiastic cheers.

Mr H, K. Wright regaled the comrades with a number of humorous reminiscenses of the South African campaign, which were greeted with uproarious enjoyment. Song numbers were also given by Messrs M. Miller, A. Thompson, P. M. Phipps, F. Thompson, and A. Bryant, and a recitation by Mr George Hall. comrades stood for a few moments in honour of the 92 officers and men of the contingent killed during the war, the roll of honour being read by the ohairman.

Letters and telegrams of apology for their absence were read from the following:—Mr Bendall, secretary to the Palmerston North S.A. Veterans, Alf. Burrell, of Waimaukau, Benton, of Wanganui. Bert Urwin, of Jtaeiihi, D.' Phillip, of New Plymouth. J. McLaren, of Palmerston North., Bob Kelly, of M&k&ra, W. Pikg, of Carterton. Andrew Wilson, of Invercargill, H. G, McMillan, of Maeterton, Charles Stark, of East Charleston, Vermont, U.S.A., F. Barlow, of Plimmerton, T. Gawn, pf Nerang, J. T. Martin, of Wellington, Fred Wood, oL Napier, Comiade Heley, of Rotorua, M. Jones, of To Kui+i, T. Gawn, of Nerang, Queensland, A. W. Andrew fßrigadier-General), of Cashmere Hills. Christchurch, George H. Cresswell, of Christchurch, Win. Turber, of Wanganui, E. Ouill, of Masterton, J. Page, of Tauranga, Arthur S. Jonson, of Hunterville, W. Purdy, of Sydney, A. McKeown, of Okoke, T. H. Brown, of Woodslee Downs, A. G. Andrews, of Auckland, C. J. -Shaw, of Brisbane, J. Chadwick, of Effitieke, Jerry L. Clarke, of Woodhaugh, T. F. Rockstraw, B. L. Richards, of Shannon, C. H. Walker, of Hamilton Blast, C. B. Tasker, of Wellington, A. A. Cameron, of Castlepoint, S. Bkermann, of Wanganui, H. A. Bolstad, C. A. Berham, of Manawatu, J. Brydon, of Tauheronikau, James Wood, of Ellenswood, Arnold Harris, of Maketu, Charles Morris, of Tauranga, Chamberlain, of Waimate, Alister Matthews, of Tauranga, "Fatty” Miller, of Tauranga, S. Colliiis of Paengaroa, Burke, of P.W.D., Tauranga, W. Wallis, of Horrineville. An apology was expressed by the chairman for Comrade® C. Girdlestone, A. .White, and W. F. Hornig, both of whom he said were too ill to attend, but with whom the reunion was fully in sympathy that evening. The reunion broke up at a late hour, after what the members unanimously ■stated to be one of the most successful ; of the twenty-one anniversaries since the remnant of the contingent returned to the Dominion.