SOUTH AFRICAN VETERANS.

Shannon News, 17 August 1923, Page 3

SOUTH AFRICAN VETERANS.

A link with, t.'lie military history ul New Zealand was strengthened at Wellington last month, when Colonel Melville, C. 8., C.M.G., D. 5.0., -officer commanding Central Command, presented to A Squadron, 6tlti Mounted Rifles., the Colvin Cup, a trophy won by the squadron in .musketry competition. The Squadron was well represented and there was also- present a number ol veterans Irani, the original 6th South African Contingent. The history ol the Colvin Cup is interesting. At the beginning oi 1914 Colonel Colvin, who commanded Colvin’s Corps in General Plunier’s column in the Boer War, 1901-2. and in which Corps the Sixth N.Z. Continent operated, presented . the 6th Contingent with a handsome cup. In doing so he wrote!: “I do like to try tio show our old friends that one reimembers with gratitude alljlie good work they did, and the cheerful and loyal spirit in which it was done.” General Godley brought .the cup out from England and handed it, o,ve.r to The* 6th N.Z. Contingent at the tenth annual re-union on Juiki 2nd, 1914. Colonel Colvin made! the suggestion that as rt)he "Old Sixth” would eventually die out th& cup should in some way become the property of the present Sixth. The suggestion Was heartily approved of by the seventy members of the "Old SiX'tlh” present. The cup was presented to the present Sixth at the annual retunion of the Sixth Contingent, last June with the id&i .that it should become a shooting tioiDhy for the regiment!. Under the rules governing! the award of the Colvin Cup, A Squadron, Wellington, takei possession of the cup for the year 1922-23 with the cup average! of 70.9 points and the excellent average for the Squadron of 87.3 points for the Squadron. This average it. may be pointed out, is 2.3 points above that laid down as the qualifying score for marksmen. It is 4.3 points above, last year’s average; and 4.2 points above the bigbes.il regimental average of 1921-22. The! cup average and .actual average of the threfei remaining squadrons Of the; regiment are respectively (B) Palmerston North, 60.9 and 74.8; (C), Hunterville, 53.7 and 73.5; (D), Rongote.a 64.9 and 84.6. Colonel -Melvin had some advice to offer to lihe new mernbeirs of the squadron, who he said, had to uphold ; a, very big reputation belonging to. the Sixth who were strongly represented during the late war. Mr J. Linklatejr, M.P., wa.s received ■with applause and said it seemed specially fitting that he should have the pleasure of being present that evening because hr) represented the Maonwntu electorate and the Colvin Tup had been presented to the A Squadron of the Sixth Mnnawa.lu Moulded Rifles. He wished to congratulate A Squadron on winning a cup tha+, ttrt?f Old Sixth South African Regiment cherished'more than anything the v possessed. Over 22 years had. gone by since the Old Regiment left New Zealand to make military history in other lands and many ol he men of that regiment bud "gone West.” They had with- gi'eat regret realised that! 'their ranks wend thinking and for this reason they ,had come to the conclusion that the Rme hiad come to hand over the! cup to the vounger generation of ‘‘Sixers. Although many men of to-day spoke lightly of the South African War, Hwas a. serious matter to New Zealant while it. lasted. Although tlffi men who fought in that war did not! go through the great fighting of the fata war. .they had miany hardships to encounter which they endured cheerfully, doing their. duty for King and Empire. Tdei I'ac.tt that they received the admiration of their officers commanding them was in evidence that night, because they had in the Colvin Cup a Colonel’s approval of th,eiir conduct during the campaign. He thanked. the officers, non-com. officers and men on behalf of the Sixth South Africans present, and also on neball ol' the regiment, as a whole, tor their cordial reception, that evening.