FINE WAR RECORDS

Southland Times, Issue 24232, 16 September 1940, Page 2

FINE WAR RECORDS

SOUTHLAND TERRITORIAL OFFICERS

Many of the Territorial officers and non-commissioned officers at present in camp at Addington have records of distinguished service. Many have seen service overseas during the Great War. The Ist Battalion, Southland Regiment, is rich in tradition, and its six officers and non-commissioned officers all have fine records. Company Ser-geant-Major (W.O. II) T. P. Capon served with the Ist New Zealand ,Ex«peditionary Force from 1914 to 1918 in Egypt, Gallipoli and France with the Machine-gun Corps. He was discharged in 1919 and rejoined the Territorial Force in 1936.

Major C. E. Lees, the commanding I officer of the regiment, served in France i from 1916 to 1919 with the 2nd Battalion, New Zealand Rifle Brigade. The I officer commanding A Company, Capi tain T. H. H. Ham, was with the New I Zealand Artillery in France from 1915 Ito 1919. He served in the Territorials from 1910 and rejoined after the last war. He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration last year. Service in Egypt, Salonika and France, and in the hospital ship Manama, was seen by Captain J. T. Newell, j quartermaster of the battalion, who was with the Expeditionary Force from 1915 to 1919. He was with the Territorial Force from 1911 to 1915, and rejoined the battalion in 1926. He has been quartermaster since 1927. Captain A. R. C. Smart, 0.C., Headquarters Company, served in Egypt, Gallipoli and France. He gained his commission in 1916 and was transferred from the Otago Battalion to the Auckland Battalion. He was with the Ist and 3rd Auckland Battalions and the Ist Stokes Mortar'Battery. Second-in-command of A Company is Lieutenant R. W. Lee, who served with the London Scottish (14th County of London Battalion) in France from September 1914 to May 1915. He was commissioned in the 12th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders in 1915, and served in France with the 3rd Battalion of the same regiment. After 1916 he was a bombing instructor in France. His decorations include the Mons Star, General Service and Victory Medals.