D BATTERY N.Z.F.A.

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2867, 4 September 1916, Page 4

D BATTERY N.Z.F.A.

Sir,—A paragraph appeared in today's Dominion referring to the D Battery, iii which" it is stated, in effect, that tho Battery was at ono timo the No. 1 Volunteer' Coy., and this company had its' origin in tho To Aro Cadet.Corps, formed in 1866. _ ..Your informant' was .surely romancing; all Hiree' woro entirely' independent corps. The To Aro Cadet Corps was initiated, I believe, by tlio lato.W. 11. Holmes, headmaster of the" To Aro Public School, in what year I do not know; Mr. W. H. P. Barber was at ono timo ono of tho subalterns in this corps. When I arrived in AYollinjgton in 1868, tlw No. 1 Company Riflo Volunteers, commanded by Major Barnett, was an adult corps, not a single ■ member of which was likely to have been ,in a cadet corps in 1866. Tho. D Battery was founded by i body of enthusiastic volunteers in' 1867, tho late, Sir P. Buckley being its first captain, and, Mr. AnVelius Smith, and (I • think), the late Mr. '-Eustaco Brandon were lieutenants, tho late Mr. H. M. Lyon was sergeant-major. At tho timo I joined the Battery, Captain (now Colonel) Pearce was in command, and, Lieutenants E. Brandon''and H. M. Lyon were subalterns. ■I held the position of sergeant-major for upwards of twelve years, and put in twenty-four years as an efficient member, so that I can claim to speak with some authority! as to tho history of tho Battery during my time. An effort is to' bo made to compilc a record of the Battery's' history, "a consummation devoutly ..to be wished," and one which would be of great interest, not- only to men who liavo passed through its ranks, but to tho citizens of Wellington •at large. Thero -ire still many old members ,who can date back to 1869 still living, but they arc scattered about the Dominion. Among tho first promoters . and founders of the corps I. might mention Mr. 11. W. Kane, lately appointed to tho directorate of tho Bank of New Zealand. If any old members of tho Battery' who joined during the early TO's should happen to see this letter I will be pleased to hear from them, and thankful to have any interesting data concerning their connection with the Battery. Apologising for occupying so much of your valuablo space,—l am, etc., AV. R, BOCK, Late Sergeant-Major D Battery.