MAJOR The Battalion Mascot

29th : the Voice of the 29th Battalion, Volume 1, Issue 9, 18 July 1943, Unnumbered Page

MAJOR The Battalion Mascot

i : THIS IS THE WINNING ENTRY IN THE FIRST • OF OUR.FORTNIGHTLY CONTESTS FOR ITEMS i FOR AN_ UNOFFICIAL HISTORY OF THE UNIT* , ITO PTE’WING OF D COMPANY IE OFFER OUR I i THANKS - .'AND TOO CARTONS OF CIGARETTES • ! r '. A- »;• Ay? ■ • .

M MAJOR’S origin-and how he cane into the Battalion have caused much centrejversy and • discussion. First it was said ' !that he was given to, the Old Original 29th ; by an Indian’policeman. Then it is stated i‘ that he belonged to a nearby farmer when j the Old Originals were camped at Nemaha, j HOWEVER, HE STAYED WITH THE UNIT WHEN j OUR BOYS RELIEVED THE OLD ORIGINALS AT ’j NALAKA ON MAY 21? 1941, WHERE HE CAME FROM, SOMEBODY LUST KNO.7! He was a wi&e old dog was "Major®, and he had a way of his own of treating coconuts. He used to? hold them in his front paws and tear the husk off wo th his teeth. Then he would take them in his mouth and toss them. in the air with a jerk of his head until .he broke them-. ■ At Nasese he caused a' lot of fun inh i XI- ..._X __ X - 1

the wet canteen by roiling empty bobA bottles ■ around the floor, Eh on the wet canteen closed he made straight for the recreation hut and caused no end of enter-

i tainment with the boys who played quoits. ■ If you took him on at tog-o-war ho Would ; nearly wrench your arm off; i IT WAS NOTHING TO FIND HIM MISSING AT j TIMES, AS HE OFTEN VISITED ARTILLERY? ■ A.S.C., ENGINEERS AND FIELD AMBULANCE* | BUT HE ALWAYS CAME BACK TO THE UNIT, HE' i SEEMED TO PREFER THE' INFANTRY. "Mt jor" returned to camp from one of his tours to find us packing up for our return for New Zealand. He stayed very close to camp and on Tuesday morning? June 3°9 he was with us on the wharf at i Suva. •

If our boys tried once, they ! must have tried a dozen t times to get him on board the "President Coolidge* 1 But each time we got him on. the ship’s officers chased him off,

FINALLY WE SAILED AT 7.15 A-is ON' j FRIDAY? JULY 3? and' "major® was on THE i ; WHARF WITH THE BAND TO BID US FAREWELL f •’ When I got back to Rzpakura alter my ! first leave 5 however., I received.' a Jeas- ’ ■ ant surprise, "Major 5 ’ was in camp,. He had | j been put in a crate placed in one of the I ; trucks? lowered into the hold and rough'.-. I | to New Zealand on the following -Grip by 1 4ln o *5 A4* In "P m 440 1 v ' — ——r—

•r .M'AJOR’.S" COLLAR, WHICH IT ? J . 'AJOR’.S” COLLAR? WHICH IT f | WAS ORIGINALLY INTENDED. TO. £ j IMBED IN HIS GRAVE / NOW TO I j -IN A PLACE GF HONOUR IN D I £ COMPANY’S ORDERLY ROOM CC ..-, ?

the boa.L too same way as he won'; on e One of our drivers found him with the 34th at Manurewa and brought him back to t-he-lunik ? ON VARIOUS OCCASIONS HE WOULD JUMP ON THE LEAVE TRI. AND GO TO AUCKLAND '• :.? WITH THE BOYS? HE HIS ALSO BEEN SEEN Ok THE AUCKLAND TRAMS, AND HAS PUT ON. A VERY . HURT AND DISGUSTED LOOK WHEN THE' CONDUCT- ' OR CHASED'HIM Ax' i , On Mondayj September 21 the unit , marched to Hunua ? and it. was ; ‘•Major again who led the way. Ik was ; always his keenest desire to sleep in £ front of the large open fire in the YaLC.A. r But ho got short shrift? be- ! cause our YoMbCoAo representative slept ) there himself’■ ;

’ On- Friday, October 9? wo !} started on our long trek ; u | | Khrapiro PA’LD O Camp, Major ; loading all the wry ano rust ■| resting when we did o On ;i arrival he immediately be.- j ; : J came a fav.ourite with the •

young school" children of the cc-mp A ; WHEN WE WENT INTO THE- WILLIS. MAJOR'

- ; WAS AGAIN ON THE SCENE i HE ■ ’ COULD OFTEN BE SEEN TRAM ! ■ ELLING Bl OKI’. RD AND NCRWARD ALONG ’’TUI TRACK" , : ' AND WENT FROM COMPANY TO ■ ! COMPANY DURING THE WEEK WE j * ' WERE THERE; « 1

• ehever wo went on a Battalion ' ; “stunt®, to capture 909 or <W» 9 he was {always on deck. On Fridays' we had a rmg- ■ [ular Battalion routs march -.nd he was i always in the read? but on November 2.0 ' ho started to drop back after an hour or ■ 'two and did not finish the march,.This was Aery unusual for him,, and ...'• ■ when ho appeared at the dance on dcg?. • — i 'day night it was thought- he was working I a ’-racket’ 0 . Bui on Sunday--ho its too ' "■'. ire? co raise his head, He was gent ' i placed in a truck and taken to a nearby ,j 'veterinary surgeon who administered a ?' painless- death? “MAYOR"- WAS-; BURIED ON .THE HEM , OVER- ‘ LOOKING TKEIPARADE AND WAS ; -. .. ' ACCORDED A FUNERAL WITH. FULL MlilTAr;? HONOURSi THE CHILDREN IMT.’M USED TO CARRY ; ('til!.i.ißc AND TUT THEM Ou HIS QR.VIJ-j .-AND , 1 HONESTLY THINK THEY MISSED -HIM mH ■MUCH i ■ w M DID? . •• •,'* I x •

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