FRONTIERSMEN ACTIVE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18067, 19 April 1933, Page 6

FRONTIERSMEN ACTIVE

C SQUADRON’S REFORMATION VISIT OF LIAISON OFFICER OBJECTS OF THE LEGION. Keen interest was evinced last evening in the business and social gathering of district members of the Legion of Frontiersmen, to mark the visit of Lieut. P. A. Warren, liaison officer on the headquarters of the Legion. Lieut. Warren was met by a large number of legionaries, and in the course of the evening gave an interesting summary of the objects of the organisation, and the rules governing its operations and the obligation of membership. A number of new members of O Squadron were sworn in as a preliminary to trie general business of the evening, and later the members listened with close attention to the brief address of Lieut.. Warren. Supper was served later, and a number of toasts were honored, the loyal toast heading the list, followed by that of “The Nine Thousand,” this referring to the men of the Legion froth all parts of the world who had given their lives in the service of the Empire during the Great War. This toast was offered by the chairman, and later Captain Hurrey proposed the health of the visitors, responses being made by Major A. S. Muir. Sergt.-Major J.. Stitthbury, and Mr. J. V. Scott. The headquarters toast was in the hands of Lieut.-Secretary H. Green, and Lieut. Warren responded, other toasts being "The Legion of Frontiersmen," proposed by Major Muir and responded to by Mr. C. H. Williams, and “The Press,” proposed by Mr. W. Oakden, the final toast being that of the chairman, this being proposed by Mr. L. Maude. PRE-WAR STRENGTH

In his remarks, Lieut. Warren said that the occasion was the official reforming of the old C Squadron Legion of Frontiersmen. Many would remember the old squadron in pre-war

days with its strength of 150 men under the late Capt. F. M. Twistleton. The headquarters had a very line memory of C Squadron, which had been known throughout the East Coast, and at the 1930 conference the hope was expressed that the squadron would some day soon be re-formed. The object of the Legion was that there should he in existence a body of men, partially trained at least, composed of individuals who had fought or worked lur the Empire, and who were willing to place themselves at the disposal of the Empire in trie event of a call being made for their service. 'Pile Legion was not a militant one, and there, was no absolute obligation on any legionary to accompany his squadron in any action which.might be decided on. The Legion would do what it could in any circumstances where the King and Empire might be served, but each man must judge the limits of his own obligation. SPECIAL SPHERE OF WORK There was a good reason for extending tiie influence of the Legion, continued Lieut. Warren. The force was one with a special sphere of work, and was not to be confused with the New Zealand Legion, a new body formed recently in the Dominion. Politics were taboo in the Legion of Frontiersmen, and the politics of any member would not be of interest to his comrades, Empire loyalty being, of course, the keynote. Lieut. Warren referred briefly to the fact that 9000 legionaries had died in the war, and he called atfention to the fact that tiie British Government during the war had given permission for the wearing of a special Legion button on the service uniform of legionaries, an honor without parallel, he believed. The Legion did not work against the Defence Forces, in its appeal for membership, for it did not take young men under 25 years of age. Most of the members were well over that age, he added. It might be possible later to make some announcement regarding the younger men who were unable to take up military training because of the limitation of numbers accepted under the voluntary training system. A question as to the enrolment o! younger men was raised by a legionary, and Captain Hurrey asked the liaison officer to stress particularly at headquarters the fact that many young men who were shut out of the military units through the filling of the training quotas were anxious to join the Legion as an alternative.

Lieut. Warren undertook to convey tlie representations to headquarters, but stated that it might be some time before a definite answer would be forthcoming. He could not explain the full circumstances of the matter offhand, but he thought that some means would be found for enabling the young men to secure their training.