ORIGIN OF THE REGIMENT.

Manawatu Herald, 20 December 1900, Page 3

ORIGIN OF THE REGIMENT.

The Lord Mayor on 20th December last year offered, on behajf of the City of London, "to equip and transport to the seat of war in South Africa a regiment of Volunteer marksmen, 1,000 strong, within 21 da\\s from this date, with transport and details complete." On the same day the Commander-in-Chief replied accepting the Lord Mayor's oiler. "Within a few hours the Court of Common Council had resolved to contribute £25,000 out of the City cash to the C LV. Fund, and to confer the freedom of the City to every man enrolled in the regiment.. On Dec. 22 a meeting of. the metropolitan Volunteers' officers was held at the Mansiou House, and the various sub-committees were appointed for dealing with finance, transport, organisation, clothing; and equipment, and horse and saddlery. On Jan. 11 tho first contingent of 500 men of the C.I.V. paraded at the Guildhall, when they received their kit and the Freedom of the City of London. On Jan. 19 a second contingent of 800 men arrived at the Guildhall On Jan. -29 160 men sailed in tha Pembroke Castle, and on Feb. 3 tbo battery embarked on the Montfort. COMPOSITION OP THE FORCE. The total number of officers and i men who went out to South Africa! in the month of January and Febru- j ary was 1,585, and these were sup- j plemented by an additional draft of j 150 men in July. It is no idle boast j that the men went from office desks i to the front, for of the whole fore:- \ no fewer than one-third were City clerks. In all, over 125 professions ] and trades were represented, among them being 29 compositors, 49 drapers, 67 engineers, 87 labourers, 11 doctors, 24 postmen, 89 painters, 87 printers, 26 plumbers, and 27 commercial travellers. Of the 53 Volunteer regiments which furnished men, the H A.C. headed the list with 147, the Queen's Westminsters con- , tributing 86, and the Artists 62. I