TWO PARADES

Waikato Times, Volume 128, Issue 21374, 19 March 1941, Page 4

TWO PARADES

HOME GUARD UNIT DOMINION COMMANDER'S VISIT CHURCH SERVICE ON SUNDAY Warning orders for the two most important parades of the Hamilton unit of the Home Guard since the unit was formed were issued by Captain T. H. Melrose, Unit Commander, to the officers and n.c.o.’s prior to the weekly instruction courses last night. Both parades will be this week and Captain Melrose appealed for a record attendance on each occasion. The first parade will be on Thursday night when the Dominion Commander of the Home Guard, MajorGeneral R. Young, C. 8., C.M.G., D. 5.0., will visit the training ground and will spend some time in watchmg the progress of the training. There will not be a formal inspecti°n but the unit will carry on with its ordinary syllabus so that the Dominion Commander can see how th® training has progressed. "This is the first occasion on which we have been honoured by a visit from our Chief,” said Captain Melrose, “and I am sure he will be satisfied with the fine stamp of Guardsmen in Hamilton and the progress they have made in their training. There are few centres in the whole Dominion with as keen a unit as Hamilton .possesses, and all that is required to impress MajorGeneral Young of the part that we are prepared to play in the defence of our country is a record attendance. I would like every Guardsman who has enrolled and also many new leciuits to parade on Thursday night.” Public Parade On Sunday The other parade this week will be on Sunday afternoon to assist in Hamilton’s observance of the Day of Prayer requested by the King. All military units in the area will parade on that day and Captain Melrose appealed for a line showing for the first big public parade ot the Guard. The Guard will parade at Clarence Street at 1.45 p.m. and to enable everyone to make an effort to attend there would be no other Home Guard exercises during that week-end. After commending the keenness of the officers and n.c.o.’s for their undoubted enthusiasm and thanking them for the time they were giving up for training, Captain Melrose announced that the Hamilton Citizens’ Band was joining the Home Guard as a complete unit and would, in future, be the Guard's official band. Uniforms and Rifles “This should materially help our training, especially our marching,” he said, "and I am sure the acquisition of this fine band will mean a lot to us.” Captain Melrose detailed the steps that were being taken to secure more rifles and uniforms to enable more advanced training to be undertaken and appealed to all Guardsmen not to be discouraged. “It is a slow job but the rifles and uniforms will come,” he concluded. “In the meantime the more proficient we are at parade ground drill and field exercises the sooner and easier we will learn the advanced work.” COMPULSORY SERVICE (By Telegraph.—special to Times) AUCKLAND, Wednesday Approval of compulsory service in the Home Guard but not in the Emergency Precautions Scheme organisation was expressed at a meeting of the Mount Eden Borough Council last night after consideration of a resolution from the Stratford Borough Council urging that the Government enforce service in both these branches of war work. It was decided to send the matter to the Auckland Suburban Local Bodies’ Association for consideration.