Drill Hall & Rifle Range

Southern Cross, Volume 8, Issue 32, 1 December 1900, Page 12

Drill Hall & Rifle Range

Volunteers and Ride Club members are invited to contribute to this column Items of news, diagrams, of targets reports of matches, meetings, and all events of interest to volunteers and shooting men will be received. Address “ Magpie,” Southern Cross OfficeParade nights of local corps ; Garrison Band, Mondays and Thursdays ; City Guards, Mondays, regularly ; Oreti Rifles, Tuesdays, regularly; Awarua Rifles, Fridays, regularly ; Mercantile Rifles, Wednesdays, regularly; the Gore Rifles parade regularly, Government Inspection being held on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays in each month ; Southland Mounted Rifles, town contingent, foot parades every second Thursday at Garrison Hall; mounted parades every fourth Wednesday afternoon at Waikiwi; Winton, Thornbnry and Otautau contingens parade as per dates on cards issued to each member. NOTES BY “MAGPIE. 11 The City Guards send a team to Dunedin for the Boxing Day tournament, and the men are now at hard practice. Physical and bayonet exercises will be the company events. * * * Members of the Oreti Rifles should be pleased with the appearance of the company orderly room, recently renovated. The cheerless brick walls have been lined and papered in a nice combination of pale green and gold, and the effect, with the addition of the corps’ art gallery, is decidedly pleasing and cheery. The great fault is its limited floor space, being altogether too small for such a use as it necessarily fulfils on drill nights. * * * Trooper R. Kidd has presented for competition to the Rifle Club a Transvaal half-sovereign, and a silver cup designed in that country, and the articles are now on view in the window of the N.Z. Clothing Factory. There are sure to be big entries when the governing conditions are announced. * * * Bluff volunteers speak in warm terms of the energy and enthusiasm of their officers, and particularly of Captain Barber, who seems to have resolved on very thorough attention to drill and discipline, and from indications there seem a very assured future before the corps. Finance is always a source of trouble to a new corps, but that difficulty can easily be overcome if the members do their duty conscienticusly'and well. * * * Lieut Hughes, as Sergt. Major of the late G. Battery, is well and favourably known here, and his ability and attention to detail in artillery work may be taken as an indication of like methods in the other branch of the service. * * Water bottles have now arrived for the local corps, and will be much appreciated at future camps and field days. • * Comparison between the condition of the Garrison Hall’s interior now and say twd years ago are decidedly in favour of its present condition, and it will bear criticism with any other in this respect. What I believe would enhance its appearance would be a collection of framed photos and pictures to adorn the walls, and here is an opportunity for corps or individuals blessed with a superabundance of military works to do good. Official permission for the purpose would no doubt be readily forthcoming. * * * Col. - Sergeant Campbell, of the 1 Merks,’ was last week transferred at short notice to Wellington. Since the inception of the corps, and during the late camp, the N.C.O. under notice gave every promise of carrying out the duties of the office with much credit, and his removal is a serious set back to the corps, although an advancement to himself. *** The quarterly examination of N. 0.05. takes place at the hall next Wednesday.

At the close of the parade last Wednesday evening the Mercantile Rifles nnanimously elected the Rev. Gibson Smith to the position of Captain-Chaplain to the corps. * *

By the bye, who is responsible for the uncomfortable and undesirable condition of things which the shooting men of this corps had to endure at Grasmere last weekly half-holiday, the team and several others being present, but unable to fire through no ammunition being available, the result of a misunderstanding, and only rectified, after a delay of two hours, by the courtesy of Sergt.-Major Knee. The corps will probably find it an advantage to serve out previously the necessary rounds individually in future, as the other corps do. I would also like to point out that Rule No. 12 of the Association was not complied with by this corps nor the Awaruas. * * * I am requested to intimate that the annual meeting of the corps’ delegates to the Southland Rifle Association will be held in the Oretis’ room, Garrison Hall, next Thursday evening, when the Boxing Day fixture will be arranged for, amongst other business. * * * The result of Wednesday’s teams match has been sent in to me, and I regret having to hold over its publication for a week through want of space. The match was won by the Oreti Rifles with 226, the Rifle Club being second with 223, City Guards next 219, Awarua Rifles 169, and Mounted Rifles 142. Three diagrams are also attached, and will appear next issue. * * *- Major Hawkins goes to Sydney as second in command of the Contingent, this being a highly popular choice. Troopers Lyons and Saunders (Otautau) and Moloney (Gore) are the Southland representatives in the ranks. * * ft That we appreciate the actions of our boys at the Front was abundantly proved by the cordial welcome accorded Trooper Jas. Aitken on his return to Invercargill by the 5.45 p.m. train on Wednesday, when, despite the short notice and awkward hour, over 2000 people assembled to see and hear the ceremony. The Garrison Band and his Company—the Oreti Rifles —to the number of 45 marched to the station from the hall, and on Trooper Aitken’s arrival he was received by the local Reception Committee and thence conveyed under escort of the corps and band on the stalwart shoulders of four Oretis Privates Keast, R. Thompson, McNatty and McGrath to the rotunda, where the pleasing ceremonies, which we are getting familiar with now, were gone through. The remarks of His Worship the Mayor, Mr J. Stead, Major Hawkins, and Chaplain Bates were enthusiastically received, and at intervals the Band contributed suitable musical items, concluding with the Doxology and National Anthem. Trooper Aitken was again taken possession of by the military, and in Donald Bain’s cab with the Oretis ‘ in order of march without dragropes ’ and still headed by the Band, pulled to the Garrison Hall, where, after a few brief words of welcome from Captain Spaul, the Company was dismissed. # * * It is the intention of the corps to tender the returned trooper a welcome social at Raeside’s on Tuesday evening next, ex-members being also invited to attend, and I am sure the gathering will be a most; pleasant one, the corps having all the necessary qualifications to such a desirable end. From a brief chat witb| Trooper Aitken, it is evident his has been a most thrilling experience. After taking part in the relief of Kimberley, he was wounded in the leg at the engagement near Osfontein, and being overlooked by the ambulance, was taken by the Boers, remaining with them until retaken by Lord Roberts’ column some two months after. Good treatment was experienced while in

their hands, and he was finally invalided to Capetown and from there home to New Zealand. The voyage seems to have agreed with him. and he seems to have rather improved on the rigorous treatment meted out to him.