TO RAKE THE STREETS

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 742, 15 August 1929, Page 8

TO RAKE THE STREETS

GUNS TRAINED ON CITY DRAMATIC ALARMS OF SIXTIES TAR AM AT 1C alarms of the “sixties,” when Auckland, man and boy, bore arms, and the artillery was ready to train its guns on the city streets in case of an attack by Maoris, are recalled by a Southern reader in random recollections evoked by the recent article, “Cameron’s Conquest of the Waikato.” The writer, now a x-ery old man, had a personal share in the tension caused by the frontier raids round Papakura and Drury. Writing of the conscription then imposed on the men of Auckland, he says;— The militia call-up, when Auckland feared not invasions but incendiary attack on a wholesale scale, caused the enrolment of all males between the ages of 16 and 65. At first there was no exemption except physical disability. Even the Public Service officials had to attend parades and drill. This was found to be unworkable. It not only brought business to a standstill, but also hampered the commercial side of military operations. So the Customs and Post Office men and others departmentally employed were exempted. Then pleas for exemption flowed in from many sources. Some were disallowed, but what with the ones that were deemed valid and the not inconsiderable few who fled to the south to escape conscription, the supply of men was weakened, and an order was issued that no male was to leave the district without permission. Major Fisher, commonly styled “Micky” was the provost marshal, ever

on the alert for dodgers. He had a job, not simply to spot shirkers, but to ward off tfce applications to en- • list that came constantly from big boys who were under the age. but looked older. They were perpetually at* r tempting to impose on “Micky. I was one of them, and I know. ON SENTRY GO The militia was sorted out Into three classes. The first, consisting of lads up to 23 and married men, with no children, waa marchc»d to the front. The second. made up of

men to the age of 43 and married men with so many children, garrisoned the Albert Barracks. The third, all the old buffers, did blockhouse and patrol duty every night from sunset to sunrise, reconnoitring between the blockhouses that were built round the three approachable sides to the city. These men were kept busy with false alarms. General Cameron’s false alarm was a most dramatic affair. He notified that on some day he would give the call for a general defensive muster to ascertain the strength at command. Every man had to hasten to his rendezvous with his arms ready. If it was only a false alarm, that would be signalled by so many strokes from a great bell within a specified number of minutes. Probably the turn-out produced the largest assemblage of men ever seen in Auckland, for it was prior to the exemptions. The signal-gun was fired at 8 a.m.. and in a few seconds everybody was on the run. It was * great muster. TO RAKE THE STREETS The impressive feature was the smartness of the artillery regulars in bringing guns to position so as to rake the sti*eets if necessaxv. As the drew near for the bell to relieve tb* tension, everybody felt excited, knowing but that the Maoris had really appeared. A great “Oh!” went up to the skies when the bell sounded the dismissal. Mention of the artillery brings •• mind Captain Mercer, who had charg of the Armstrong battery at Ranging and was shot through the head. He ■ irl * a shortish but very active officer*, stern disciplinarian, and a WesleyanCaptain Easther. who in after was on the headquarters staff _ Union Steam Ship Company in P®®* edin. served in a responsible on the gunboats Avon and Pioneer* mentioned in The Sun's article as op** - ating on the Waikato River.