Mounted rifles revived

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 513, 23 November 1993, Page 5

Mounted rifles revived

By Jenelle Frewen Inclement weather did little to mar the Queen Alexandra' s Mounted Rifles' Cambrai Day parade Saturday last week. The battle of Cambrai saw the first successful use of tanks employed eri masse by Allied Forces in 1917 and since then 20 November has been recognised throughout the Commonwealth countries as the Armoured Corps' special day. The parade was quite an historic one for the QAMR as it was the first time since the second World War that the ceremonial Mounted Rifle Hat has been wom. Earlier this year the unit underwent a name change from 1 Armoured Group to Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles and so the NP School news From Page 4 Over $2500 is available for the project, with the community and school working together to install the new equipment, once planning and building permission has been obtained. □ Six Standard 4 pupils are on their way to Palmerston North today for a day visit to the Science Centre and Palmerston North Art Gallery. They join other Standard 4 pupils from Ohakune Primary School.

newly revived Mounted Rifle Hat will reflect that change and continue the 1 29 years of military tradition that QAMR holds. To add further emphasis to the traditional aspects of the parade the Reviewing Officer, Chief of the General Staff, Lt. Gen. Tony Birks was given a mounted escort upon his arrival and departure by five members of QAMR. Several mem-

bers of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps' first Armoured Personnel Carrier troop from the 1970's were also given a reception at the parade. The Colonel-Comman-dant of the RNZAC, Brigadier John Mawson, (ret.) who acts as a kind of corps patron, also attended the parade and was pleased to see the revival of some old and worthwhile traditions.

He also felt that such traditions were important for the morale of QAMR and were positively reflected in Saturday' s parade "which under the cold conditions was magnificent", he said. Lt. Gen. Birks echoed those sentiments in his address to the parader and also went on to mention the importance of the unit adopting the traditions of its namesake, which he said

more accurately reflects it' s true role. "The name Mounted Rifles reflects the support of the light infantry. You are not an armoured unit as the NZ Army does not have battler tanks and are unlikely to get them in my time", he said. "Your first role as cavalry was well demonstrated on Exercise Takrouna."