FOR KING AND FLAG.

Hawera Star, Volume XLVIII, 22 November 1924, Page 4

FOR KING AND FLAG.

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN. A TROOP IN HAWERA. The decision to form a troop of the Legion of Frontiersmen in Hawera was made at the Borough Council Chambers last night, when an enthusiastic public meeting, attended by'frontiersmen from as far north ;&ew Plymouth and south as Waverley,.' Was held.

Quartermaster-Sergt. Carson, at the invitation of the chairman (Lieut. Vickridge) gave a little of the history of . the formation of the Legion. He said that the founder of the movement was Rodger Pocock, at one time • a member of the famous North-west Mounted . Police. On the trail in the. Arctic Circle Pocock suffered badly froni frostbite, and Consequently became incapacitated to such an extent £ h ft had to retire from the ranks °u le North-west Mounted. Feeling the break keenly, he went to London and there, still imbued with the spirit of loyalty to the Empire, gathered around him hklf a, dozen like himself and in a short time he could visualise a far-reaching band of men right throughout the. Empire who would be prepared to do all thev could to adTv AVOrk *>f the' Empire. The War Of nee gave the new movement very little sympathy in those days because they saw something that was not tied down, with red tape. However in spite of obstacles the Legion giW Pocock later went to .South Africa, and there he met Colonel Driscoll, who gave great assistance. From then on the movement spread rapidly, until at the outbreak of the war its 'membership in iNow Zealand alone stood at 1800. Of this number 1400 enlisted immediately the call to arms was made, the balance being either over age, medically unfit, or having family ties. “Some thinlc we are a crowd of swashbucklers out tor a good time, but that is not so,” said the _ speaker. ‘ ‘Loyalty to our. Iving and country and good comradeship are at the back of the movement.” Continuing, Quartermaster-Sergt. Carson said that the Legion was not an entirely military organisation, but the one link that bound its members was loyalty to King and country. In. the formation of a. troop in Hawera they would welcome any man who was imbued with that spirit. The Legion had no religion and no politics, but he did not mean by that -that its members were irreligious.- Religion and .politics, they contended, were matters for the individual. However, the Legion might become active in civil life at times because tlie Empire had foes in its midst, and .the time might come when frontiersmen would have to stand by their pledge and uphold law and order. In conclusion,_ the speaker said that the Legion had no social grade—one man wasyas good as another, no matter wdiat he was in civil life. At this stage the chairman read a telegram from Staff Captain Desterre, wishing , the meeting success, and a nii ri a P° l °gy , for absence from Colonel Sutherland.. ,'

In a few well-chosen words Colonel Weston gave the meeting an insight V lto . the oeace time Work of the legion. Be said that the Legion was organised -into squadrons, the squadrons into _troops, and the: troops into patrols. Each Troop was more or’less a self-contained unit under a troop leader and sergeant. Captain Desterre was the general staff officer of New Zealand, and lie was regarded as the emissary of London in this country. Onfe of the main objects of the Legion .£«» help in the carrying out of military training, and Colonel Weston detailed a comprehensive scheme !sffi to “>•, defence , Frontiersman Alley, of Waverley, re“TOf i to ! the or £?anisatioii of the troop district iad reCeUt y f ° rmed to his Frontiersman Foord of Fltham, and late; of R angamu, touched on the histoiy .of the Wanganui Squadron, and mentioned how he used to rile on horseback 36 miles into the railing to attend committee meetings in R’rhga- ,, Hunter recalled the time when the Egmont troop was the only tioop in Taranaki. and he imnressed upon the meeting the necessity of. being-parGeu-lar r m the.selection new members. ' Mr H. B. Gibson addressed there riesent as; future fellow-mem be .■«, and said he had been convinced that there ship somet^n g in the idea of comraden.Lieutenants Nortoai, Biertrad and Hrokenshire also spoke on matters pertaining to the strengthening of the movement. After the meeting the visitors wero entertained at supper at the Carlton lea 'Rooms,; Lieut. Vickeridge presidnig. A. pleasant social “hour was spent, items being contributed bv various members. ■ * ■ . .Before the close- it was moved by yiekridge, and seconded by Q.M.b Carson, that a troop tf the Legion be formed in Hawera, the name or the troop to be decided on at a later meeting. .Colonel R'eston and Squadron Quar-ter-Masten? Pike gave some got J advice, as to the necessity for guarding against the enrolment of any but the right men. \ The new troop starts off with a membership of 10 dr a dozen, with a'patiol Eltham of four or five, ail men of the right sort. M. Intending members may hand in their /-V-n ieS i Hr .Carson at lu’s oiF ; ce in Gillanders’ buildings, Union Street. After a vote- of thanks had been passed to his R T orship>the Mayor, the Borough Council for the use of the council room and To the Press, particularly the Hawera Star, for the assistance so willingly given, orders were lodged for another issue of Mrs Hoddle’s excellent coffee, and then Che word was given to break camp and hit the trail for Tiome.

The thanks of the 1 Hawera troop is due to the Frontiersmen who came such. ' long distances to assist at the birth of the latest addition to the Legion family. ,J : ‘ J