AMAZON BATTALION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 5, Issue 51, 11 May 1942, Page 5

AMAZON BATTALION

CONGRATULATIONS EXTENDED ART OF SELF DEFENCE "I must congratulate Mrs Cole, the leader of the Edgecumbe Amazon Battalion," said Mr P. Bonlram last Thursday eveningin the course of his address to the Awake New Zealand Campaign. "I personally feel that . there are enough men with red blood in their veins to stand up to the invader sihould he ever comie but >at the same time it shows the spirit of the women of the Bay of Plenty who are prepared to stand up and if necessary defend themselves." He instanced the example of good Queen Bess at the time of the Spanish threat and said that her leadership and fearlessness was- an inspiration to the woman of to-day. Mr W. G. Banyan who has taken .1 leading part in the training of the Amazon members said that when it was seen that certain men lacked sufficient red corpuscles in their 1 blood, it was mentioned that the women might be desirous of undertaking some simple type of training. Since then it had not been possible to hold them 3)ack. He only Avished the men Avere as keen on their drill and, training. He agreed that Avoman's place Avas in the home, but perhaps the enemy Avouldi not. It Avas therefore better not to run the risk and so the ladies were being taught self defence and. getting more and more confidence In themselves. In a few months most of them Avould be able to disarm a man Avitli a vilie and bayonet as a result of their training. "I wonder if any of you have thought what would have been the result, had the women of China been taught to defend thems<elves," he concluded. "How many less Japanese soldiers would there have been to threaten Australia and New Zealand.'"