THE COLOUR-SERGEANT

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1522, 19 August 1912, Page 8

THE COLOUR-SERGEANT

OF THE "LONG-TAILED DANDIES." A VOLUNTEER VETERAN, 1 A brief paragraph in Tin: Dominion the other day announced the gazetted retirement from the Territorial Forces of Col-our-Sergeant T. J. Davis, of A Company, Filth Regiment, New Zealand Infantry, after 15 years' servico with tho colours, and tho conferment upon him of the honorary rank of lieutenant on the Retired List of officers, with permission to retain that rank ond wear the prescribed unilorm. v ' . '

fhe military history of Colour-Sergeant ' iom Davis,is the life historv of that elite company of Wellington volunteers Vlucli for years was the doughty champion ol military competitions-tiro Wellington City Rides. But the Wellington City Rifles are no more. The mantle of tho Long-tailed Dandies," as they were called in the old days, has descended upon A Company of tho Fifth Regiment, and babes and sucklings are the rank and iilo when compared with the bearded and moustachiod stalwarts who were directly descended from soldiers of tho line. In 'the beginning the Wellington Citv Rifles were evolved from a company which J™ 4 ; formed in the year 1807, on October -J, the condition of membership bejng thot recruits must be either war veterans or sons of veterans. One of tho foundation members of tho company was the late Drum-Major Davis and his son, •'Tom" joined as bugler. The raison d'etre of tho company was really tho advent of H.R.lt. the- late Duko of Edinburgh. A guard ol Honour was required for his Royal Highness, and the "Cities" furnished the guard. In 18,3 the Wellington City Rifles, as (hey were known for years after, were officially introduced to tlio public of these distant 1?;™ " lth th , s , of a break of tinoo years (1575-78), Colour-Sergeant ,vf,y,'. S "if a ! , f°-I°nS1° n S member of (he cunipanj. Ho rejoined in 1879, and two years L\t!fli e J; am .\ C 0 From that tato began the long succession of honours the tournament ring. In 1860 the comWeflwl'r >? V^ lCt «""je«tion at the ot the team received a silver commemorathe bayonet and drill events in tho colonial tournament at Hutt Park, agahst ana tho Royal New Zealand Artillery In otaVrV' hM Capfali " <«°" Oilen™, \ 9° lhns Wils tllc "skipper," the company had a great run of triumphs nt huro'l? t T? aMe, . ,t * »*.D«nedii Christcuuieli, Palinerston North, and nfw fe»' Ul its lluc e * M »* thohst mil" fiSR .SUB'S*. 4S unflagging energy with which Colour: Sergeant Davis carried out his duties as tho senior non-commissioned officer of the company, and he refused a commission on the ground that ho could better sot" anh ■ Clu >" tlO ."""■•"""missioned «rv»i ls , raHlc , ''emarkable that he has sencd only under five commanding effi?Hlt/'Jn lf r ae . cx f, c " ts , Ca P tai » B "«k u 3 y\ actloll, >> n subsequently attained field rnnk-Liont.-Colonel Crowe, V.D. retired list), Co onel R. J. Collins C.M.G., Lieut-Colonel W. G. Duthie V.D., and Major Lsson (ot present commanding A Company), and the last skipper of the old "Cities." Of the original veterans who joined there now. only remain Lieut.-Colouel Crowe, Cap:, tain Isherwood, and Colour-Sergeant (now, liontonant) T. J. Davis. Colonel Collins, . who, as officer commanding the Wellington City Rifles, and subsequently battalion commander, had ample opportunities extended over A quarter of a century of estimating the work of Colour-Sergeant Davis, says that whatever the colour-sergeant of the Longtailed Dandies took in hand ho carried out with firmness and determination to succeed. He was always ready to sacrifice his leisure time on"accoitnt of volun-i teering, and worked hard to build up and sustain tho efficiency and smartness which enabled the City Rifles to reap tho honours at the tournaments. By the way, the "Long-tailed Dandies" were so called from the unusual length of their Glengarry fail's—tho Cities woro 1 Glengarry caps in tho past, and a blue uniform with white piping. They were not the first volunteer company in the field, being preceded some threo months by the D Battery (July 22, ISG7). Thirteen years later the old Wellington Navals (now .a company unit of the Garrison Artillery Division), wero formed into a company, being followed four months later by tho appearance of the old Wellington Guards. The old "Cities," by the way, went _on activo service after they were organised.