MOUNTED RIFLES

Camp News, Volume 2, Issue 69, 18 April 1941, Page 4

MOUNTED RIFLES

Brigade Inspection At Foxton SPECTACULAR PARADE Visit Of Major-General Russell The largest Mounted Rifles parade seen in New Zealand since 1914 was held today, when the 2nd Mounted Rifles Brigade was inspected by the Inspector- of the New Zealand Forces, MajorGeneral Sir Andrew Russell It represented one of the most spectacular and stirring of military parade occasions. The parade strength was. more than 1200 mounted riflemen, their mounts groomed to the standard of the occasion. sleek and very much on their toes after a month of hard feed and regular exercise. Then* was the dapple greys with which the public links the famous Scots Greys (now mechanized). red roans, white roans, blacks, bays creams, chestnuts, browns, whitesin fact almost every colouring of horse. L was a magnificent spectacle when the brigade was moving down the parade ground in column of squadrons, which is 60 horses to each line. Rich Ceremonial. The occasion gave full rein to the richness of military ceremonial. The day was brilliantly sunny but keen as Major-General Russell came on to the parade ground, where the orderly of fleer. Lieutenant Bunny, awaited him with-an attendant N.C.O. bearing aloft the red pennant of a general fluttering proudly in the breeze. Major-Gen-eral Russel] mounted . a sturdy, sleek black of the hunter type and. in accordance with military practice, accompanied by the orderly officer and pennant I

bearer, he proceeded at the full gallop to the position occupied by the of- ' liver commanding the brigade, Colonel W. R. Foley, M.C., V.D. Then, silnul--1 1 taneously with the command “Eyes I centre, general .salute.” he reined up in front of Colonel Foley, the band at ; the same lime playing the general 1 salute. Accompanied by his orderly officer, Captain St. Lawrence, Lieutenant-Col-i ,oiiel Muscroft Taylor, G. 5.0.1., Central .Military District, and Colonel Foley. Major-General Russell carried out a studied and careful inspection, troop by troop, of every man in the brigade. This took an hour. Former Command. The occasion had special significance, for Major-General Russell for in 1912 as a ■ lieutenant-colonel, he commanded the Wellington-East Coast Mounted Rifles Regiment, now one of the regiments of the brigade, and in 1914, as colonel, he commanded the brigade. Il was in May, 1914, that Major-General Russell, then colonel, commanded the brigade with a strength of 1800. in the inspection carried out at Taka pan by Genera] Sir lan Hamilton. Colonel Foley was then in the brigade as a sergeant. General Russell commanded the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade on Gallipoli and then the New /('aland Division in France. Colonel Foley has also had practically 30 years’ continuous association with mounted rifles units. He joined the Stratford Mounted Rifles Volunteers irt 1908 and served as an N.C.O. till July, 1914. when he was commissioned. He went overseas with the N.Z. Mounted Rifles Brigade, serving on Gallipoli, in Palestine and Egypt, completing his war service with the rank of major. He continued with the Territorial Force after the war, commanding Queen Alexandra’s Own • Mounted Rifles in 1924-29 and the 2nd Mounted Rifles Brigade in 1929-34. Then he was posted to the reserve of officers and recalled in 1940 again to command the Q.A.M.R. In . November last he v. as reappointed to command the brigade. March Past. The inspection completed, Major General Russell crossed to the saluting base where there were also Brigade

staff captain of the brigade, Major L. D. Hickford; Captain Hopkirk, Assistant Director of Veterinary Services, and the intelligence officer, Lieut. S. Bridger. The brigade then marched past in column of troop, approximately 20 to a line at the walk, and gave the salute. The second time round the brigade, still in column of troop, was at the trot and for the third time round in column of squadron. (50 to a line, they were at the trot. They held the line steadily, taking into account the fact that many of the horses were very “tpey.” The horses have been in camp four weeks today, a small percentage only having had army work before, and :i proportion were unruly when brought into camp. While the inspection was carried out to a selection of Maori airs by the Brigade Baird, under Lieutenant A. Woods, the march past was apcom panied by. the Keel Roll, specially ar ranged by Lieut. Woods'for the occasion. Playing for a mounted march past requires more skill than for an infantry march past. The bandmaster make.- a rapid appreciation of the leading horses, which are making an even step, and suits the beat of the music accordingly. No animals in the mass respond more quickly to music than horses, and this was noticeable today After a few weeks’ of parade to music, experience has shown that horses will take up the beat and walk or trot in even time. It was also a special occasion for Lieutenant Woods, as the last occasion he conducted a band for General Russell was at the generals’ mess at Armen '.teres in 1916. The Queen Alexandra’s Own Mounted Rilles Regiment was commanded on the parade by Lieut-Colonel J. B. Davis. V.D., and the Wellington-East Coast Mounted Rifles Regiment by Lieut -Colonel G. S. Wilson. The whole ceremony occupied 90 minutes, but the brigade was on the parade ground for two hours, this thoroughly testing its steadiness and the control of the horses. Major-General Russell complimented Lieut. Woods and the band, which comprises men of both regiments, and inspected the brigade’s veterinary section. transport section, and ambulance section. He expressed himself well pleased at the result obtained, after the months camp, as shown on the-parade He left later for the north,- and will go on to Waiouru to inspect the Ist Mounted Rifles Brigade. He has already inspected the 3rd Mounted Rifles Brigade at Burnham. Both these brigades are smaller than the. 2nd Mounted Rifles' Brigade.