Wallce Mounted Rifles.

Otautau Standard and Wallace County Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 426, 8 July 1913, Page 4

Wallce Mounted Rifles.

FIRST RE-UNION OF OLD ME2fI^RS. I The first re-union of the Wallaoe Mounted ■ Rifles, which it is hoped to make an annual I function,, was hold m the Grown Hotel I Rooms oh. Saturday evening, about forty I members, many of whom had oome into the I rendezvous from long distances, presenting H themselves at the appointed hour. The I Wallaoe Mounted Rifles, which were ao- H cepted into the Volunteer Foroe m 1901, H were as is well known, merged into the H Territorial Foroe m 1912, and the object of H the present gathering was to bring together H the comrades of *"The Old Squadron" for a H few hours m memory of the good days H spent with the corps. Needless to say I the function was noted for the utmost good- H fellowship, and remininisoences flowed like H a refreshing stream from all parts of the H tables. H Captain Saunders presided and was sup- H ported by Captain Gairdner, Lieutenants H Taylor, Blatoh, Maopherson and Lindsay H Apologies for absence were received f row. H Lieutenants D. MoCurdy, D. MoKenzie, H Hon. Lt. W. R. Pankhurst, Sgts. J. Hen- ■ derson, G. Chewings. Cpr. G. Tapper, Trps. H W. Walker, A. D. Molvor and Hon. Mem- ■ ber J. O. Clapp. ■ The dinner laid by Host O'Brien was ex- H eellent and the manner m which the company responded to the oulinary art displayed H on the board reminded one of a |home coming after a camp out on short rations. As H Burns has it :— j^M 'Some ha'e meat and canna' eat, And some may eat that want it. But we ba'e meat and we can eat, And sac the Lord be thankit. I The following toast list was honoured : — "The King" proposed by the chairman, H "The Navy and Army" by Captain Gairdner responded to by Lieut. Taylor, "ThlaOld Squadron" by Captain Saunders, respjjjled to by Lieuts. Maopherson, Blatoh^grm^^, and Sgt. J. Forde ; "Fallen Comrades"— ■ Tpr. Quested, Nightcaps, Tpr. Hogan, Wairio, Sgt. Owen Taylor, Dipton, Sgt J. Miller, Otahuti, Tpr. H. Brown, Dipton— by Q.M.-Sgt. Matheson ; "The Territorialt" H by Lieut. Maopherson and responded to by Capt, Gairdner; "Our First Captain" by^l Capt. Taylor and responded to by Oapt. Saunders ; "The Ladies" and "Our Host." ■ Amongst those present at the gathering were three of the members present at the first swearing-in at Nightcaps m 1901, and of all those members of the squadron present only six were not In the first oamp^H held at Strathmore m 1902. During the^H time the squadron was m existenoe oamps were held as follows :— 1902 Strathmore, 1903 Makarewa, 1904 Ringway, 1905Riv-^B erton, 1906 Ringway, 1907 Riverton, 1908 Winton, 1909 Riverton, 1910 Riverton, 1911 Wyndham. A series of pkotos taken at the first camp at- Strathmore .were on^H view m the room and one of these depicted a reoord performance put up by the corps, that of going across country m line, the^H photograph showing the whole squadron olearing agorae fence on "Devereaux" fann.^H The officers during the period that the^H squadron was m existence were :— Captains ;^H W. A. Saunders 1901-8, 1909-12, J. M.^H Taylor 1908-09; Surgeon-Captain: W. S.^H Baird, M.8., 1901-10; Lieutenants : D-^H MoKenzie 1901-2 ; D. Maopherson 1901-3 ;^M A. H. Newton 1902-5 ; T. G. JfiUiorona^H 1902, J. M. Taylor 1905-8, 1909-12^& £ -^| Blatoh 1905-8 ; R. M. Gairdner )-Wl2;^H W. Lindsay 1908; D. McCurdy 1911-12 i^M Sgt. -Majors: G. Harvey 1901-2 ; J. M.^H Taylor 1902-5; W- Lindsay 1905-8; D. T.^B Manson 1908-12; Q.M.-Sgt. : B. Matheson,^H jnr. 1901-12, jk A suggestion that the re>unio^oe mad«^H an annual gathering was accepted and as^^| the original swearing m had taken plaoe at^H Nightoaps the next function will probably^H be held there, and then alternately atOtau-^H tau and Nightoaps. A suggestion was also^H adopted that a memorial notice be plaoed^H m the newspapers on Juno 3rd each vear^^| (the dat» «f the original swearing m) i°^H memory of fallen oomrades.