ORIGIN OF LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

Taupo Times, Volume IV, Issue 174, 27 May 1955, Page 5

ORIGIN OF LEGION OF FRONTIERSMEN

Activities Of Local Troop Arrangements are well in hand for the ball to be held in the War Memorial Hall on Friday next, June 3, under the auspices of the Taupo Troop of the Legion of Frontiersmen. The presence of some forty odd members of the Legion at the recent Anzac Day service in Taupo", including detachments from Rotorua, Edgecumbe and Whakatane, in addition to the Taupo Troop, caused considerable interest, and the following details with regard to the Legion are given in answer to enquiries made to • the Times. All but two of the Frontiersmen on the parade mentioned were returned servicemen, but membership is not confined to those who have seen active service. • Members must be British by birth or naturalisation, 25 years of age or over, and good citizenship and loyalty to the Throne are essential qualifications. Founded in 1904 The Legion was founded in London in 1904 -by Captain Roger Pocock. The Badge, now known in every country of the Empire, is a small medallion bearing a circular replica of the Union Jack, with the words "God Guard Thee." This motto was engraved on the inner side of the ring worn by General Gordon, of Khartoum. Comradeship is a fundamental principle of the Legion, which is purely voluntary, self-governing and self-supporting. Organised on a semimilitary basis for simplicity and standardisation, it is composed of men from all walks of life, whose services may be turned to account in any national emergency, whether civil or military. On' the outbreak of the Second World War the first troops to move into position in Npw Zealand were units of the Legion who had been posted to Coastguard duties. Shooting is one of the principal activities of all units, as it ig believed that every man should know how to handle a rifle. Objects of Legion Units of the Legion may specialise in any particular subject, such as ambulance work, traffic control, auxiliary fire fighting, search parties, or in any direction where the services of an organised body may be used in time of emergency, as for instance earthquake, fire or floodThe objects of the Legion are : the safety and well being of the Empire: the practice and encouragement of military training for the defence of the Empire ; the enrolling in peacetime of men who have had frontier, naval, military or other training or experience which may be useful to the nation in time of need ; to render assistance to the Defence Department; and to assist and encourage the youth of New Zealand to recognise their duty to Queen and Empire. An act of service that has been carried out in the Taupo district for several years past, by members of Bay of Plenty units of the Legion, has been the tidying up of the. Opepe Cemetery, containing the graves of men of the Bay of Plenty Cavalry killed in 1869, and of men of the Armed Constabulary who died at Opepe in later years. The Frontiersmen have also -kept the track to this historic spot, from the Taupo-Napier highway, cleared, Since its formation the Taupo Trooj has joined the Bay of Plenty Frontiersmen in their annual workingparty at Opepe.