NEW HEADQUARTERS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 256, 30 October 1939, Page 9

NEW HEADQUARTERS

ON GONVILLE DOMAIN CORPS OF FRONTIERSMEN Squadron headquarters of the \\ anganui squadron of the British Corps of Frontiersmen was opened at tne Gonville Domain on Saturday night by Mr. W. J. Rogers, Mayor of Wanganui. The parade was under the command of Captain D. Curnan and was swelled by a party of 14 me: i.ers of the Taihape troop led by Colonel Christie. Opening the building, which was erected by voluntary effort on a site given by the Wanganui City Council, Mr. Rogers congratulated tne Corps on its ingenuity. The *uilding and the rifle range provided a line example of what could be done by voluntary effort. During the afternoon the corps held an opening shout on the new miniature range, which has been fitted up for night competitions. After the opening ceremony, the corps paraded through \ ictona Avenue Jed by the Wanganui Highland Pipe Band, to McGruers Hail, where a social gathering was held. At this Captain Curnan presided and associated with him were Colonel A. Smith, Colonel Martin Roberts and Major Hardie, formerly of Wanganui, of the New Zealand Headquarters Staff. The toast of the Taihape troop was proposed by Lieutenant C. James, who said that such visits consolidated the movement and brought the troops much closer together in their work.

Lieutenant Christie replied. He said that now that the troop had madtj its first visit to headquarters he hoped that it would be followed by other visits. He complimented the troop on its new headquarters. The Taihape troop was gradually increasing its numbers and it would not be long before it was at full strength. He proposed the toast of the NoZl and No. 3 Troops to which Trooper H. Ford • replied. • The toast of the Army, Navy and ■ Air Force was proposed by Major Hardie, of Napier. He explained that the “25” on the badge of the Corps of ' Frontiersmen represented the 25th. ' Fusilier Battalion of Frontiersmen, ' who embarked for service in German East Africa under the command of Colonel Driscoll during the Great War. The men were old timers, ■ hunters of big game and engineers, and their leader was the father of the ■ Frontiersmen movement. The 25th. . Battalion went through the campaign which was so strenuous that when Omen returned only 10 were capable of walking 10 miles a I the rest were I hospital cases. ■ Lieutenant Parneii, of the Wclling- . ton-West Coast Regiment, replied to ! the toast. I Captain Curhan proposed the toast . i of New Zealand Headquarters. ■ ■ Replying to the toast, Colonel A , i Smith, the commandant, said that the I Corps of Frontiersmen was a body second to none in the auxiliary forces of the British Empire. , j Colonel Martin Roberts, a former ! commandant, said that headquarters i i did all the organisation buit without j the co-operation of the squadrons the : organisation would be useless. It was ; the spirit of camaraderie which . counted for much in the movement. •I He said that the 25th Fusilier Bati tailion was the only voluntary corps ' which left England during the Great • I War and kept its ranks filled witn .its own reinforcements. » Other toasts were to Major Haidle, I j the instructors. Captain Curhan and I the waiters and enteitainerS. I Replying to the toast of the Instructors, Mr. McNamara said that ' there was not a man in the Wanganui j squadron who ws not as keen as mustard on his work. The Corps of ■ Frontiersmen was a l-ody of men • fully trained for any emergency. During the evening a programme of I entertainment was provided under Tie | direction of Lieutenant C. James and Trooper H. Ford.