TWENTY-FIRST REINFORCEMENTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XXXVI, Issue 3560, 21 September 1916, Page 7

TWENTY-FIRST REINFORCEMENTS.

ASHMUilxuxs QUOTA

The, Ashburtou quota of recruits for the l'wciity-lirsL iveintorceineuts Avero laixMvelied at tiio Drill Haili yesterday attemoon, tJie ruiiesiinients bemg provided by the ladies of beaheld and i'eiidarvcs. His Worship the Mayor (Mr Li. Galbraith) presided. T\venty-uine men answci'ed the roil call, beiug three short of the required number. . Captain Oakey, Officer Commanding No iv Ojx>up in addressing a fewwords to the departing men, said he had not attended the gathering for the purpose of making a speech, but to ask tho relatives and friends of the men to say their farewells a little sooner than they had been accustomed to do in tho past, and so help to get the reinforcements uway in a little more orderly manner. Sinco February last No. 10 Group had sucooded in fillmg its full quota on every occasion. On'this occasion, he regrtted to, state that the'quota for tlie group was not full. Ho congratulated tho Ashbiirton district on the way it had filled its obligations regarding ; recruits, and stated that the average had been bettor tha.ii in a.ny other ''.part of the group. (Hear, hear). He could give the men going away a lot of useful information, but the present gathering was hardly tho place for talking. He had served in tho Gallipoli campaign, and knew something about what the soldiers would have to contend with. During their period of training in camp it would be absolutely necessary for the men to take every advantage of the training thoy woxild receive. Somo men might be inclined to think some of the duties irksome. He assured them it vfMilfl be tho lrttle details that would often count, and perhaps when in the trendies somo little detail might be the means of saving their lives. He wished the recruits bon voyage and the best of luck. , , The Rev. W. C. Blair said the men

who went out to fight in this war were

rinViri"'. +Vtr>ii> liVs to maintain law and order, and also to nut down barbarism' and fanaticism. He referred to, tlie. ■wholesale devastation brought about by the Germans, and the destructi*"? of the beautiful Rhoims Cathedral! H~ expressed his admiration for the mo^ who were shout to tfk-e up arms to supnort their comrades who had already srone 'away. Mnnv who 'romfii"ed behind regretted that they ravi* not atgo assist. He honed those whe wore coinc; away would n^ouit th^Tr'•■five'' h'Ve men, n"d that' thpv w>iiV 7 ibe an honour to the country froir j which they came. :. ' The. Roy. W. T. Todd said he would' ask the men to remember two names;. : One was the "name Anzac and ■ the ■other was New Zealand. Our men had' ! made the name Anzac renowned i throughout the world. The remembrance of that name would stimulate them to follow the high ideal alrcadj' ' set them. The name of New Zealand would remind them of home a*id all that was dear to them. Ho hoped they would be strong and resist temptation and keep true to their parents: brothers, sisters, and sweethearts. He Hoped God would bring" them"Back , safely to New Zealand, the placo we i all honour and love.

The Mayor thsiiked the men on behalf of the town and district for vol unteering. He felt confident they would do their duty -like those who had gone before them. He informed those present that they were indebted to the ladies of Seafield and Pendarves for the refreshments. He then paid a tribute to the work the ladies in the County had been doing since the war commenced. At his invitation cheers were then given for the ladies, the recruits, and the boys at the front. Tho men were, then allowed an interval to say farewell to their friends before the whistle sounded to fall in. Headed by members of the Eighth (South Canterbury) Regimental Band, they marched to the station, where a largo number of people had assembled to say farewell. As the train steamed out of the station there was considerable, cheering. The men who left last evening were: —A. T). Biitterick, C. M, -BmcrK AY. L. Bramley, A. Christie, J. Campbell, K. Campbell, S. Clark, C. L. Goodwin, S. Callaghan, W. Goulds; H.

E. Gordon, C. Harris, H. V. H?irsxnvps, E. E. Hnines, A. F. Kerr. W. R. Tnwood, W. H. Jary, C. M. King. A. WT^nrr/W. E. >^O'-'>. -T. MkW'a. ton. J. Mackenzie. F. S." Pethic, F. Pnil, C. W. Powell, C. C. -Stanley. J. Stalker, C. J. Stone, and W Watt.