A PROUD RECORD

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 05, Issue 92, 17 August 1942, Page 5

A PROUD RECORD

B' (HAURAKI) COMPANY

HISTORY DURING PRESENT WAR

Lieut. Col. Dawe, Area Commander (Paeroa) hias kindly forwarded us a brief official account of the activities of B (Hauraki) Company in the present war. The record l is made by Major R. G. Webb up to the opening of the Libyan campaign and is. carried on from, there by Gaipt. Jack Conolly (since posted as wounded). The history will be published in column form from issue to issue. The Officers and N.C.O.'s of the Hauraki Coy proceeded to Narrow Neck on the 31st January, 1940, along with the other prospective Officers and N.C.O.'s of the 24th Battalion. After a period of intensive training, the group proceeded to Papakura early in April, and continued their training there preparatory to the arrival of their troops. OKving to the delay in the sailing of the Second Echelon, it was not until 15th May, 1940, that the troops actually marched in. In the meantime considerable thought had been given to the allocation of troops to Platoon groups, which would enable; the 'men to keep some community of interest from their civiL to their military life. The original officers of the Company were: O.C. Capt. W. J. Collins "M.M. (Morrinsville); 2nd i/cCapt R. G. Webb (Rotorua); No. 10 PI. Lieut. J. Conolly (Paeroa and Whakatane); No. 11 2/Lieut. S. Nicholson (Cambridge); No. 12 2/Lieut. J. A. Carroll (New Plymouth). The Platoons were grouped roughly as under: — No. 10 Platoon: Rotorua, T'aupo, Mamaku, Te Teko, Whakatane, Rangitaiki and Opotiki. No. 11 Platoons Matamata, Morrinsville. Putaruru, and the Hauraki Plains, including Paeroa and the Netherton district. No. 12 Platoon: Te .Aroha, Thames Coromandel, Mercury Bay, Katikati, Tauranga and Te Puke. We were fortunate that over 90 per cent of the troops marched into tlie Company came from the Hauraki regimental district, so that we were able to regard ourselves as a Hauraki Company from the start. We were very fortunate in the choice of Capt. Collins as our first Company Commander, and I should like to place on record the splendid work that he did in moulding together a company, of which we were justly proud and which we felt would ably uphold the regimental traditions. We sailed on 28th August, 1940, and after touching, at Fremantle and Bombay, anchored at Port Tewfik on. Ist October. The Company was given the first duty in the new land, being responsible, as rearguard, for the unloading and clearing o£ the ship, and providing the necessary guards to the valuable cargo we were carrying. By 10th October, the whole Company was assembled at Maadi, and then ensued a period of i-ntens» Platoon, Company, a«d Battalion training until we moved to He-lwan on 12th December. Here we proceeded to Company, Battalion, and Brigade training, and the Company justly built up for itself oeputa-* tiom for the high standard of—its field work. Route marches up to 28 miles were covered, and the Company had the proud record of neyep having a man fall out- on a r«yte march. Meantime, Lieut. Conolly and 2/ Lieut. Nicholson had attended courses at the Middle East Weapon Traising School in Palestine (M.E.W.T.S) and both gained distinguished passres as also did Sgt. A. Crimmond of No. 10 Platoon, while Sgt. R. Pirrie, No. 12 Platoon, qualified Q1 and missed D only by a few marks. 2nd/Licut. Carroll meantime had gained a distinguished pass at the Middle. East Tactical School.