HOME GUARD

Rodney and Otamatea Times, Waitemata and Kaipara Gazette, 12 March 1941, Page 7

HOME GUARD

WELLSFORD PARADE

Approximately 140 men of all ranks fell in on the parade ground on the Bth inst., the Whangaripo members under Platoon Commander Munro being present.

Platoons 2, 3 and 4 route marched to Mr Leach's farm, Way by, No. 1, under Platoon-Commander Frear, falling out; and (taking up attacking position over broken country, demonstrating scouting, section formation under artillery and machine-gun fire, and platoon tactics in attack. From a vantage point Company - Commander Grant explained the formations adopted by the attacking force, using their movements to illustrate points previously stressed at former parades. Questions asked evidenced a keen appreciation and understanding of the different movements. The signallers, under sigualler Warburton, were active.

Officers and N.C.O.s from Port Albert, under Company-Comman-der Neal, were interested observers.

On Saturday, 22nd insb., the subject will be platoon activities in defence, sighting and digging trenches and concealment.

• The Independent Squadron Mounted Rifles paraded on Saturday and Sunday last.

'EBB'S FAREWELL

We all turned up at Erb's on Saturday night; we and our wives— that is, each man one wife ; that is, his own wife ; that is —Oh! Bother! It's so hard to explain and people seem hard to convince now-a-days.

The feast was in the barn. Aladin's Cave it looked like, with the ferns and flowers and the streamers of Old England.

And the spread! ! Mrs 'Bib is a oner ; mince pies, lady's fingers, sausage rolls, cakes, pastry, trifles and nil the good things that to me^are only blissful memories since "one and only" has absorbed from Women's Institutes Dietetic Clubs and similar institutions that "an apple a day," brown bread and vitamins A to Z, only will delay her enjoyment of my several life policies, llemembering the somewhat distant days of my youth when nn exercise book concealed in the right part of one's garments modified the teacher's application of "Spare the rod and spoil the child." I sneaked out and packed a couple of sheets of cardboard under my waistcoast on the lady's side.

We started. While in the middle of .my fifth mince, "sock," I got it right iu the flank. The cardboard cracked. The old lady heard it and so did the others. I looked green ! They thought it was a rib or two. Not a word \vas» spoken, but the several wives glared at my Angelina. I'm popular with wives —I am.

But what a feast! Some of us realised at lust the import of Milton's "Paradise Regained." And the toasts, and the speeches, and the songs, and "Auld Lang Svne" at 11.59, and the walk home with OUU wives —or wife rather.

We were all at the station to* see 'Srh off on Monday by the 9.15. Me and Slim, Squiuty, Felix, Adoll and Ole Bill. No fuss, no hustle j! 'Ei-b stepped aboard. "Squad ! bi:un •" roared Ole Bill and like one man we were in file and dressed. "Eyes-front! Salute !" and every eye was on Our 'Erb as the train moved out.. At the salute his eye seemed on each of us to read the un spoken promise'" We'll keep the home tires burning." "Dismiss!" faltered Ole Bill. It must have been drafty at the station: —some of us seemed to have caught a cold in the head.