SOUTH AFRICAN VETERANS

Otago Witness, Issue 4030, 9 June 1931, Page 74

SOUTH AFRICAN VETERANS

ANNUAL REUNION. The annual reunion of South African veterans—-the event of the year among the surviving members of the Otago contingents which served in the Boer War—was held in the Officers’ Club Rooms, Dunedin, on Wednesday evening, the president (Rev. D. Dutton) being in the cnair. There was an attendance of about 150 veterans, many of whom were from the country districts, and among the guests were the Mayor (Mr R. S. Black), Major O. H. Mead, represent ing the Otago regimental district. Lieu-tenant-colonel A. S. Falconer, O.C. Otago Regiment, and the president of the Returned Soldiers’ Association (Mr W.’ F. Forrester).

In his opening remarks the chairman expressed pleasure at seeing such a' large muster. It was good to see so many present who had attended the reunion year after year, and. to know that they had been spared another year to foregather with their old comrades. The chairman then extended a welcome to the guests of the evening, aud, in making particular reference to the fact that representatives of the Timaru and Oamaru branches of the South African Veterans’ Association were present, said that it was pleasing to know that the members of the Otago branch were thus linked un with their comrades in other parts of the Dominion The Mayor prefaced his remarks by expressing the pleasure he had experienced at such a large muster of veterans at the Vereeniging peace service on the previous Sunday. To anyone with a sense of reverence the service and its inner meaning must have made a deep appeal, but, unfortunately, there were several spectators present who did not appear to appreciate the solemnity of the occasion, and who had acted in a manner that, besides being irreverent, was distinctly discourteous to those who were taking part in the service and an insult to the memory of the men who had given their lives in the Boar War. He hoped that those who attended next year’s service would do so with due thought for what Vereeniging Peace Day meant. He congratulated the South, African veterans on having supported their association as they had done. He hoped they would have many more reunions as successful as the present one, and that as the years went on there would be no diminution in the muster.

Following Mr Black’s remarks, the chairman proposed the toast of “Absent Comrades,” wnich was honoured in silence, and Mr B. Ellis‘called the roll, members of no fewer than 10 contingents answerzing to their names. Speaking on behalf of the New Zealand permanent forces, Major Mead said that he deemed the invitation to be present an honour to himself and to the forces. He congratulated the veterans on the excellent muster that night, which, after 29 years, must surely be a record. He only hoped that expeditionary forces’ reunions would be carried on in a like manner. He

wished the association all sorts of good luck, and hoped that the members would continue to ‘ hang together ” and retain “ le associations and friendships such as coma be formed only in campaigns; it was only by doing this that the spirit of cameradene and good fellowship could be developed and maintained. Air Forrester conveyed to the gathering hearty greetings from his association, the destiniesi of' which were closely linked with those of the South African Veterans’ Association. Both bodies were working towards the same end, and he hoped that as the years went on their membership rolls would increase and the interest of tneii members become more keen Messrs H. Thompson and L. Koppert, representing respectively the Timaru and Oamaru branches of the association, also spoke briefly, an d tendered to the assemblage good wishes from those bodies. / « Hazlett proposed the toast vL?" 1 ! ad - C i' The Sonth African veterans, he said, were proud of the privilege of calling Mr Dutton their padre. 1 rior to joining up with the South African contingents he was an honoured minister ot his church, and on linking up with H OUth Africa he became a guid„, counsellor, and friend to all of t lhey 1 1,a x. foun , (l him to be a man thiough and through; he was broadminded. and although on occasions he could >e conveniently deaf and conveniently blind, that did not prevent him at a later stage from putting many of them °n the light track. Their padre had created a record that it was possible was not equalled by any other padre in the Lriti sh Empire, for, after the South Airican War, at an ag e when most men would have been content to remain at dntip ln Co . l ? for , t ’ lle a g ain took up his tr ansports and hospital ‘rn 1 ni;~r ( l Al \ P r aU ??' ) , IO S ° Uth Africa.” concluded Mr Hazlett, “we met manv men of the cloth, and we found them all to be true men; but it is no reflection on say tbat l llere was never a better man than our padre. It is a privilege to i llln i Wlt 1 us ’ , and we trus t that he will long be spared to preside at manv more such gatherings as the present one.’’ — (Loud applause.) with I ®., tO?St i T aS cnthl ’siastically drunk with musical honours and three heartv chcers were given for Mr Dutton. ilwnv reP F u Dutton said that he had always felt it an honour that he wa» K n^ C<l r> to South Africa with the C? nt \ n g e nt as chaplain for the Island. He felt when he got to South Africa that all New Zealanders he in contact with were his friends and tn Lin hIS d u ty . to , do what he co ui<l th J lad always received the utmost courtesy from the officers and Mr DuffL W 1O1 ? 16 J lad been asso mated. Mr Dutton went on to recount in an entertainrn" manner a number of experiences th» 1 t undergone on the veld and during J,>i e i War ’ na na^ ra tive being listened a k<?en appreciation by the gatherlnp:. As one whose father had been a soldier, and whose grandfather had fought on the Spanish Peninsula and at Water, •oo he said in conclusion, he had held, ever since childhood, the utmost regard for soldiers, and it was always a delight to come m contact and converse with them J;nn°n e 1 f greater regard and affection than he for the men who had served the Empire in the field. He honoured Anm/£ Pr i eC ’? te 1 d them ,’ and as far as he could he had always done everything possible to help them along.—(Applause.) During the evening an enjoyable prog?’a“me of vocal, instrumental, and elocu. ALKn 1 / S a9 r ender ed by Messrs R, >ot a nd J. Duerdon (songs). A. Moors and H. Russell (recitations), and E Hunter (cornet solos).