LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXVIII, Issue 41, 18 October 1915, Page 3

LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

THE POUATU TROOP.

(From our own Correspondent)

Frontiersmen L. Bacon (aetingLientenant), of Whanga, and H. («. Kennedy. Tahora, have gone this week to Auckland as delegates to attend a two days’ conference of Legionaries from all over the Dominion. The object of the conference is to consider the mobilisation of a unit for active service if the authorities will accept them, and to consider tin* question of better organisation of the Legion in New Zealand. At present the headquarters are in London, with a staff officer in New Zealand, and it is ( thought that it would facilitate matters to have an Executive Council in the Dominion, who, while under the London Council, yet would manage their own affairs here. It is a pity that the Legion had not been accepted when they offered as a unit at the start of the war. They would have given a good account of themselves, as they are picked men with qualifications that few of the other recruits possess; men wiio can all shoot, good horsemen, men with all the selfreliance and adaptability of the backwoods pioneer, hut now, perhaps, it is too late in the day for the Legion to go a.s a unit, seeing so many of their number (some 1-100) have joined the various expeditionary forces that have from time to time left New Zealand. The men who remain cannot do better than follow the example of the others—those who are not over age and who have no insuperable ties to hold them—and by so doing wil! help to stiffen the Various units ot raw recruits t-noi they mix with. I lie l}ef' orloP authorities have graten .-<y acknowledged the good work of Hw> Legion as a recruiting agent, and the influence they exert as individuals on the other recruits. These men are prepared to fully equip themselves with uniforms, horses and arms; they do not ask anything from the Government, only recognition. ' I was agreeably surprised when I saw the Pouatu troop at drill about a fortnight ago, to think that it has only been nine months since they started, and now they seem as proficient as old soldiers; and it must he remembered that this is at Kohuratahi,. and not in a city where men have only a few chains tn come, but here were men who had rode as far as twenty miles there and hack through mud roads at that—all for what? Well, just to he efficient. Some are at Trent ha in. Others have enlisted, and are awaiting the call.' .Many readers may' ask. and what is (lie Legion of Frontiersmen? Some other time we may go into details. The shortest definition I can give, and one that may lie understood, is that the Legion “are just big Boy Scouts with all the experience that the Scouts .are now learning,” Their great leader. Colonel Driscoll, lias said that the one object in life of these Frontiersmen was to he soldiers in the true sense, not to he heard, not to be seen, not to swank, but in the hour of need, to go under l the Flag, and, il necessary, to lay down their lives for it. No man of theirs was ever permitted to he seen disgracing his uniform. The Government at Home had recognised them. A large number of military officers of high rank were joining them, and Indian Government officials were now allowed to join. In India and in British Fast Africa the Government had made the Legion of frontiersmen their “first line of defence.” I

And so the “circle cross” is made known now in every corner ot the area t British Dominions, and its motto is a peculiarly appropriate prayer at this juncture for the British Empire: “Ciod Guard ’Mice.”