DEFENCE NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 425, 6 February 1909, Page 15

DEFENCE NOTES.

_4 (Bγ Eoheion.) , A correspondent writes:—l have seen many references to Sir Win. Russell ahd the 58tn Regiment recently, and all seem to miss tho mark'. The fact is that his father (Col. Rihsell)'was in the regiment; so was his brother (Capt. BuBscll), himself, and now his son. , I have rcoeived from a member of the company the following interesting account of the doings of the telegraph squads of the "Wellington Engineers at Mar- ' twborouglr and 'Wainui qu Saturday 'and , 1 Sunday last:—A party under Lieutenant Gibbs proceeded Martinbbrough on Saturday afternoon, and another', party,'under Lieutenant Chappie, walked -to Wainui-o-mata, communicating with tbwnou the fay up the Wninui Road. At Wainui, the men were hospitably entertained by Mr. Hardy, clerk of woiks 76f tho "new reservoir. Hβ is an ex-military, .officer / from' New South 1 AVales. He kindly provided shake-downs, and a very enjoyable Saturday evening was spent with him. On , Sunday, Lieutenant Gibbs's party tapped tho telepliono.-wire and communicated with "White Rpck on Palliser Bay., Lieutenant Chapplq's party left at 7 a.m. and reached the top of Mount Pukehaha at 10 a.m., after a.very strenuous climb. This party then called tup Lieutenant Gibbs and • Tinakori Hills (on which was a party under Soigeant Wright) *by means of heliographs. .Lieut. Gibbs then sent the following message' to Lieut Chappie, who transmitted it to Sergeant Wright; by whom it was delivered to,l'ieut.;Colonel Bauchop:— ','To ' Officer Commanding Wellington District.—Warships' off coast; deserter states due iri ,"W ellington tomoriow.— Gibbs, Capo Pallisor."' -. . " Four .other messages were sent from Wainui, one being transmitted to the captain of H.M.S. Pioneer, the reply from whom was transmitted back to Wainui. Lieutenant ' Chappie's party left tho summit of the mountain at 2 p.m., and on the way back to the 1 works the men had practical instruction in map-reading. , l The reservoir was reached at 6.10 p.m., and the paity had 15 minutes to change and got ready to catch the S.'io p.m. train from Butt. The distance to the Hutfc (nine miles) was covered in the creditable time of 2 hours 10 minutes, in" spite of the fact that one of the men had to bo assisted on .account of an injury to his ankle., Two passers-by, who wore driving in a buggy, refused to gi\o the injured man a lift, although thev had plenty of room to spare. The total distance covered by tho message from-Palliser Bay was'over 90 .miles, and 23 miles separated the Wainui and Tinakori stations. Tho performance .was'■very creditable indeed,* and shows that thore is no lack of enthusiasm in the 'Wellington Engineers. "Bull's-eye," of the "Weekly Press," has ' been at some pains to< collect interesting data concernrag tho Wellington City Rifles— its beginnings, history, l and achievements. InA'iew of tho fact that this excellent company scored its thiid win-in the annual 'Wellington Garrison 1 Teams' Shield Competition at Trentham on Saturday last, ail account of its career should be of topical in- < fcerest:— ' •The Wellington City Rifles was established as far bock as 1867, tho first officers being Captain Buck, Lieutenant-Hastings, and Ensign Isherwaod. During the Native troubles on-'the (West Coas't, those gsntlemen, together'with most'oE the < membprs of the company, volunteered for active service in the Wellington * Forest Uangcis, "and old Wellington identities will'no doubt remember that Captain Buck and Lieutenant Hasfcingd lost their the gallant Von Tempsky, at Te Ngutu-p-te-rrianu/,,,Jn 1868-9 Captain Isherwood had • - charge of; the "Cities," successi\e' commanders being:— Captain A. Crowe, 1869-1886; Captain-R. J. Collins, V.D.j 1886-1896; Captain W. G. Dutlne, 1896-1907-;" Captain' J. T. Esson, 1907.' It is 'notew orthv that, this company has furnished* the "com'mariders of tho Ist Battalion Wellington Rifle' Volunteers since its establishment, namely, Lieutl-Colonel A. Crowe V.Dy&eiixed),, QqlonoL. Jfy; J. Collins, Y.D. (finance member Council of Defence), "autL.LJout-ColoneL-W—G- Dutliie,. the present Officer Commanding. While the company has' been very in ' its officer,?,,much'of .its success, is due.tp tho,in ; of Colour-Sergeant T. J. Davi£, so well known in Now Zealand volunteerjcircles. This -veteian enlisted in 1867, 1 when (the company was formed, and was its. ' first busler'i Ho- was'secretary., in 1880, and Colour-Sergeant m 3,881. Colour-Sergeant Davis jis a '.noet enthusiastic volunteer, a keen shot, and, as an instructor, particulaily in bayonet fighting, musketry, and physical drill, has few equals. His teams have, as tho following record,will show, for years past occupied tho premier position, and have met and defeated representatives of ,the Imperial , and Australasian Defence forces. The following are some'of their" principal performaneps v , i ,1899—At\PetoMe'r Ist'in bayonet fighting, 2nd in phyireal drill, 2nd-in arms drill, 1900 —At Christcliurch: Ist in bayonet , fighting, Ist in physical drill, 2nd in arms drills-,At Petone: Ist in bayonet fighting, Ist in- physical drill,' 2nd in arms drill. At Dunqdin: 1st v in bayonet fighting, Ist' in physical drill, Ist in arms drill. -1901—At Dunedin: Ist in bayonet fighting,' Ist in physical 'drill, lit in! arras drill. 1902—At Palmersto'n North: Ist in bayonet , fightrac;, Ist in physical drill.' At Dunedin: >» 2nd m bayonet fighting, Ist in physical drill, 3rd in arms drill. 1901 —At Petone: Ist in bayonet fighting, Ist in physical drill, Ist in arms drill. At Wanganur Ist in bayonet fichting, Ist, in ' phjsical drill, Ist in arms drill." *■ 1906—At Palmersten North: Ist in bay-, onet, fighting, Ist in physical di ill. '1907 —Atlsapior: Ist in.'bayonet fighting, Ist in physical drill, Ist in arms drill. At Palmerstou North:-Ist in bajonet fighting, Ist in physical drill. , 1903—At Palmerston North;'-lst-in bayonet fighting, Ist m physical.drill, Ist'in arms drill. ' Great dissatisfaction is being expressed in the Territorial Force over the design of the new efficiency medal. Instead of conforming to tho tiaditional circular shape, as in the case of aU Regular Army medals, the design for the Territorial decoration is oral. The appearance of it is insignificant, and it is charged against tho Army authorities that they have created another mark of difference between the Regular and Toiritonal Forces instead of treating them as one army, as Mr. Haldane intended. The new medal has the appearance of football club or bicycle racb medallion, tho shape of which is well known, being, it is daimod, a "cross" between a friendly socie'ty-modal and a district messenger badge.. Territorial soldiers claim that thoy ought to have the solid circular silver shape, as had ,tlio s old l Vplunteors, and not —by the .differentiation of the .Regular authorities —be given a decoration,' as one man put it, "suitable for a Sunday school." The Kins, it , is pointed out, has just approved i' tho issue,,of an Indian General Service medal, and the native camp followers in tho 1908 operations are to be awarded this Armv medal in bronze, circular in shapo, with clasp. Suclr a medal is legarded 'as "infinitely superior to the Territorial Efficiency 'badge,' "