BORN FIGHTERS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 698, 25 June 1929, Page 11

BORN FIGHTERS

COLONEL DAWSON PRAISES N.Z. LADS “KEEN AS MUSTARD’’ •‘Should the worst ever happen—and naturally we all hope that it will not—New Zealand will not have to worry about the personnel of any forces that may have to be called upon for services overseas.” In these words, Lieutenant-Colonel T. H. Dawson, C.M.G-., C.8.E., president of the Auckland Officers’ Club and officer commanding the First Battalion Auckland Regiment, C.R.0., paid a tribute to the New Zealand territorial when addressing the members of the Karangahape Road Business Promotion Society at their luncheon this afternoon. Mr. M. J. Bennett presided. During the course of his address, Colonel Dawson said that he could not see that the time had come when people and nations could pack up their troubles and leave them to arbitration. It had been said that the territorial system was liable to make militarists of the youth of New Zealand. Speaking as one with 32 years’ experience, Colonel Dawson said that it was impossible to make a militarist of the New Zealand lad. He was the finest born fighter in the world, but he was not an ideal soldier. lie expects much of his officers, and does not respect them because they are officers, but because they are holding down their jobs. BATTLE OF WOOFIT His conduct in the last war was the finest advertisement this country ever had, said the colonel. The New Zealanders had a way of knocking abopt and they got where other colonial troops never got—right into the hearts of the people of the Old Dand. Colonel Dawson said that the lad of today was much the same as the one that went to the war. “Under the present system they have got to do their jobs just as you have to serve on juries when called upon. When they get into camp they throw themselves into the work even better than the old volunteers did —they aye as keen as mustard. “When I came back to the regiment after some two years on the shelf,” said Colonel Dawson, “I was surprised and astonished at the keenness displayed by the territorials.” Referring to the “battle of Woofit,” Colonel Dawson said that it was an attempt to carry out in time of peace what the New Zealanders had to endeavour to do on Gallipoli. “I was at Gallipoli (Colonel Dawson is famed as being the first New Zealander ashore on the occasion of that historic landing), and I can say that those lads put it well and truly over us as far as disembarkation is concerned.” Referring to the presentation of the battalion colours on the Domain some two months ago, the speaker said that th© Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson, a Guardsman and a distinguished soldier, had said that he had never seen anything like it before from any but regular troops. “With the exception of one company there had been no extra training—-it was just the spirit of the men and their willingness to work,” concluded the colonel.