THE TARANAKI REGIMENT

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1929, Page 11

THE TARANAKI REGIMENT

OFFICERS’ ANNUAL DINNER GATHERING AT NEW PLYMOUTH. SOLDIERS REVIVE MEMORIES. The third annual dinner of the officers of the Ist Battalion, Taranaki Regiment, was held in the Kawaroa Park bungalow, New Plymouth, last night. Brigadier J. H. Whyte, D. 5.0., D.C.M., N.Z.S.C., who was unable to be present through an attack of influenza, sent his regrets. Major G. F. Bertrand presided over a large gathering. “Some years ago,” said Canon G. H. Gavin, in proposing the toast of “Absent Comrades,” “I was paying a visit to Christchurch. I thought I should like to call in at the defence office and while there I saw Colonel Symon. I myself, gentlemen, am not a very good conversationalist, and although I have a great admiration for Colonel Symon as a soldier, I am afraid he is not a very good conversationalist either. We sat on opposite sides of the table and talked little, with long pauses. After a time Colonel Young came in and helped me out somewhat. But afterwards I was walking along the street alone with the colonel. After a long pause the colonel said: “You know, you padres talk too much. I said, “Yes, sir.” There was nother long pause. At last he said, “Everybody talks too much.” I said, “Yes sir.” Now Colonel Symon was suffering at that time from an overdose of unveiling soldiers’ memorials, and he felt probably, just as I do to-night —that the best way to honour the dead is by silence. Nothing that the living can say about the heroic dead is good enough. The enemy, with uncanny ability, seem to have picked out the best.” The toast was drunk and the regiment stood a minute in silent remembrance.

“Owing to the absence of Brigadier J. H. Whyte,” said Colonel G. H. Home, C.8.E., “it is my great honour and privilege to propose the toast of ‘The Regiment.’” He had particular pleasure in doing so because he himself might be styled an old Soldier of the regiment. Possibly some of the older i men present remembered him in the I regiment not, he hoped, from internal I conflict.. I NAME WRITTEN LARGE. j “One name,” said Colonel Home, “is written very large on the annals of the regiment, that of Colonel Malone. I never think of the regiment without coupling it in my mind with the name of Colonel Malone. His loss on Gallipoli was, in my opinion, the greatest personal loss suffered by the Expeditionary Force fn the late war.” He was glad to know, said Colonel Home, that the toast was coupled with the name of Lieut.-Colonel Jardine. All of them knew the conspicuous achievements of Colonel Jardine in the war. A trainee of Colonel Malone, Colonel Jardine, he was certain, had the ability to carry on the fine Malone tradition. He was very grateful to Colonel Home, said Lieut.-Colonel L. H. Jardine, D. 5.0., M.C., in reply, for coupling his name with that of the regiment. . Although not born absolutely in the midst of the regiment, he had served a portion of the war in command of part of it. “The regiment goes back a long way,” said Colonel Jardine; in fact, to 1860. From that time up till now had been buili up the traditions in the regiment’s care. The volunteers of yesterday, those in the Maori War, did work just as hard and probably harder than the volunteers in the last war. Might their work, said Colonel Jardine, be an example to the present officers. He charged them to read the history of the regiment in the Maori War and to study it. The task of studying thoroughly the last war was too great, but one could glean something of the . cameraderie of the New Zealand with the Australian forces, and of New Zealand regiments with New Zealand regiments. The Taranaki Regiment had come in contact at the front with the Auckland, Canterbury and Otago Regiments. It was a great pleasure to think that men of other battalions who had actually fought with the Taranaki Regiment were present with them that night.

ALLIED TO DIEHARDS.

“You are allied,” said Colonel Jardine, “to the 57th Regiment, Middlesex. The men of the 57th were the Diehards with a wonderful reputation, dating right back to Albuera. In honouring your traditions made by the men in the Maori War, and by Colonel Malone and his fellow officers in the late war, you should remember the traditions of the 57th Regiment. Practically tho whole of its magnificent four battalions was wiped out in tho first seven or eight months of the war. I hope you will never forget those traditions,” said Colonel Jardine. “They help us along the road to which we are pledged and to which ,we must hold fast.”

In conclusion, Colonel Jardin© thanked the New Zealand Permanent Staff for the effective tactical training it had given the regiment during the last few days. The toast he had been given to propose, that of the Army, Navy and Air Force, said the Rev. J. D. McL Wilson, C.F., was the most important of the evening. It included all the other toasts. Everything that had been said regarding those toasts was equally applicable to-this one. The men of all these associated groups had upheld the spirit of Britain and the Empire. Much as one might hope otherwise, it seemed that th© last arbitrament in settling national disputes must be war, and so long as there was war it was necessary to keep th© men fit and ready, and to train them so that the traditions of the Empire might be upheld and its welfare safeguarded.

In spit© of tiio shortage of money, said Lieut.-Colonel I. T. Standish, C.M.G., D. 5.0., R.N.Z.A., replying on behalf of tli© Army, he thought he could say that the British Army to-day yas a more efficient fighting force than it ever had been. In New Zealand, the keenness of territorial officers and men made th© work of th© staff a pleasure, made it seem worth while. Brigadier-General Whyte had. asked him to thank Colonel Jardine for his help at th© manoeuvres during tho ■ last few days, and to express his pleasure at tho excellent #attendanco.

Lieut. K. Lloyd Jones, R.N.R., replied on behalf of tho Navy, and Lieut. F. Latham (Hawera), New Zealand. Air Force, on behalf of tho Air Force. “It ia fitting that members of the Queen Alexandra's Rifles should be present to-night,” said Lieut. Q. H. Thom-

son, N.Z.M.C., in proposing the toast of Queen Alexandra’s (W.W.C.) Mounted Rifles. "They are the complement to the Taranaki Regiment and when t.ie regiment fought in Gallipoli and I rance, the Mounteds fought in Gallipoli and Palestine.” In reply Captain 0. L. Ferens regretted the absence of Colonel W. R. Foley, M.C. The tradition of the Queen Alexandra’s Mounteds dated, like that of the Taranaki Regiment, from 1860 onwards. This battalion, with that at Wanganui, was closely allied to the Queen Alexandra’s Rifles, and his regiment felt honoured at being included on the toast list. Captain Ferens stresseel the desirability of th© co-operation of all units. If the infantry worked with the mounted and the mounted worked with the infantry then the motto of his regiment, Ake, Ake, kia kaha, would always be upheld.. The toast df The Legion of Frontiersmen was proposed by Major A. E. Conway, N.Z.S.C. The Legion, said Major Conway, was composed largely of ex-servicemen. He had met them at local. gathering watched them . and learned the keynote of the Legion-— loyalty. When the officers of the military forces could no longer continue, through circumstances, on the active forces” they could take no better step than to link up with the Legion. There they would find carried on the customs and spirit of their old forces. The Legion did valuable work. It had assisted the territorials and cadets by securing for them officers and non-com-missioned officers. It had assisted the senior cadets by giving trophies and helping with the shooting. "The toast,” said Major Conway, “Is coupled with the name of Colonel C. H. Weston, Commandant of the Legion of Frontiersmen in New Zealand. There is no need for me to mention the esteem in. which he is held. Not only did he serve with great distinction in the war, but before the war he was adjutant of the Taranaki the forerunner of the Taranaki Regiment. .Colonel Weston is loved by his frontiersmen.”. On behalf of the Legion of Frontiersmen, Lieut.-Colonel C. H. Westoil, D. 5.0., V.D., replied. The toast of Our Guests was proposed by Captain A. L. Moore and responded to by Captain Matthews, s.s. Hororata, and representatives of other units. Musical items were given by the Taranaki Ilagimental Band, Messrs F. Cornwall, F. Baird, E. W. Moffat and the Mess Committee. The evening closed with the National Anthem.