HOME GUARD PARADES

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 3, Issue 265, 31 January 1941, Page 4

HOME GUARD PARADES

LAST night's initial parade of the Whakatane detachment ■of the Home Guard., was but a reflection of what ic now taking place all over the County. Ex-Diggers, married men r<nd youths are joining in increasing numbers, and it is pleasing to relate that the total for this district now stands in the region of 1250 men. Naturally the town quota will be the largest, and the splendid muster in. the Winter Show Hall indicates the very fine response which has already been made, in Whakatane itself. To many a veteran of the war of twenty years ago, the Guard provides the medium whereby, after champing at the bit for over twelve months, he feels that at last he is able to do something of a practical nature towards the great cause of freedom, which the Empire has espoused. To many such a one, the paradeground atmosphere of last evening brought back strange, memories, and many a yarn, was swopped as comracies of the past conflict met again and compared ideas. Whakatane is but a unit in the great movement which is being taken over the Dominion to train the civilian population for the possibility of invasion. In all parts of this county,,, individual units are being formed and in some of the smaller settlements it is gratifying to note that the response from eligible men, has been one hundred per cent. All are swor.i in under the ordinary military service procedure, and the oath of loyalty is administered. The training will now proceed to schedule, and will be applied uniformly so that all recruits will receive the same in their individual districts. The combined parades and manoeuvres will come later, but in the meantime, the Home Guard appears to be consolidating fast, and in a short time should achieve, the object of its promoters, by becoming a strong, disciplined body fully capable of dealing with any invader who seeks to spread the conflict to fche Southern Pacific.