WITH THEIR COBBLER MASCOT

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2833, 26 July 1916, Page 8

WITH THEIR COBBLER MASCOT

"FIFTEENTHS" MARCH OCT

A BRAVE PARADE

Shortly before 3 p.m. yesterday ther* was an animated scene in Bunny Street, hear the Lambton Railway Station. ' On parado days the thoroughfares of that vicinity are always enlivened with Ufa and movement, but the aspect yesterday afternoon was more than usually lively, f,or no sooner had drafts from the country for the Nineteenth Reinforcements, marching in mufti, and carrying with them a large variety of grips and portmanteaus, wheeled from one platform to the other, via Bunny Street, than a burst of martial music announced the head of the "column of the Fifteenth Reinforcements (half-strength), which was starting out Tor a show parade before eager, excited crowds which thronged the city streets. There, one body of men straggled along in their motley of everyday clothes, not thinking of carriage, gait, or soldierly poise, and a few hundred yards away stepped a splendid body oT highly-trained men, striding evenly,'. with head erect and shoulders thrown well back, the spring in their gait and the leanness of their flesh, and the bronze of their complexions indicating the salutary effect of hard training Under rigid rules.

It was the Fifteenths' day out, and, whether it was the influence of recent events or not, the enthusiasm of the public greeting was most marked, and the cheers that volleyed out at intervals had real heart, as well as lung power in them.

The men swung out from Bunny Street, into the Quay, headed by a curious little figure, but one very dear to the hearts of tho men of the Fifteenth. Soldiers are given to fancies, and the one that seized upon the Reinforcement that paraded yesterday was to mako a sort of home mascot of tho little cobbler of Featherston, one who has earned the affection .of many men who have sojourned ia the camp across the range, ami whose enormous patriotism and pride in tho lwys going forward, culminated some three .weeks ago, when lie donned an old tunic of the old' Wellington City Rides (dark blue frogged, with white), and marched over the Rimutakas and iuto Trentham with tho Fif. teenths. Though of an age well past Hie mnxiiuuiii for military service, tho little man, with n shine on his face reflecting his pride in. the honour conferred upon him, bestrode the tweutv miles with the best of them. Such was the regard in winch he was held, that the request ot tho men for permission to allow their mascot, to head the column on its march through the City, was granted. So in his quaint old coat, silver-peaked pap, and black leggings, and holding a little red ensign on a bamboo pole, ho strode on in the van of his beloved Fifteenths, "none prouder than he." Ihe Reinforcement or that part of il. which marched out .yesterday, appeared to.be a sturdy, hard-bitten lot, manual workers for the greater part one should say, and a good proportion of men from the land—bushmen, farmeis, shearer l ; and fencers. On a casual glance it was estimated,that the aggregate age of tho men would be above tho average—there were more, perhaps, who had understated their ago than over-stated it in order to got into khaki. They marched very steadily, and as clusters of girls swarmed out of the crowds and offered them sprigs of wattle'- and daphne, and bunches of violets, the stern, tanned faces relaxed into brood grills of unalloyed delight. '

In the absence of Brigadier-General Sir Alfred Robin (who is in tho south), the SHnistcr of Defenco (Hon. Col. Jas-. Allen) took the place of honour St flm saluting base in front of Government, liuildings, where "he was supported, by tho Prime Minister (Hon. W. F. Massoy), lions. A. Myers, G. W. .Russell, J. A. Hunan, Sir Francis Bell. W. D. S. Mac Donald, Win. Fraseiyinembcrs of.thu House of Representatives and Legislative .Council Colonel C. M. Gibbon (Chief of Staff), Lieut-Colonel .Herbert Pilkington (commander of the Fifteenth Rein forcements), Lieut-Colonel' Tito (Adju-tant-General), Lieut-Colonel Potter (officer commanding Trentham camp), Sur-geon-Colonel Purdy, and the Mayor of Wellington (Mr. J. T. Luke). ' The men who paraded yesterday were tho A., C, D., G., and V Companies of infantry, thoMedicaCorlps, the Trentham and Fifteenth's Bands. Colonel Pilkington, who commands the lieinforcement, did not head the column yesterday. He will do so on Saturday .afternoon noxt, when the second division of the Reinforcement will parade in Wellington. The units to parade on Saturday will be the Mounted Rifles, Field Artillery Brigade, Engineers. N.Z. Signal Company 8., E., H., and J Companies (infantry), Maori Details. Divi. sional Medical Corps, Divisional Veterinary Corps, Army Service Corps. "H ii.li those who were on the scene yen. terday's march out will long be associat. Ed with the scent of battle, and the memory of the gallant little cobbler of Fentherstoft.