April 1941
It was reported on the 2nd of April that the Government was considering the impressment of all privately owned .303 calibre rifles for the Home Guard’s use. A recent appeal for citizens to voluntarily hand in their rifles had not been a success. Only 32 rifles had been handed into police in the whole Auckland district, with just two of those from the Auckland City area. Although nothing was definite, the Government warned a step toward compulsory impressment might have to be made if more rifles were not given in soon. However, it was a different story altogether in Cambridge. A list of all .303 owners in the area had been given to Constable C.H. Maisey, who found that a large percentage of those on the list were already in the Home Guard. Most of them had joined the sniper section and so could bring along and use their own rifles. Of those rifle owners on the list who were not in the Home Guard, only two had offered to lend their rifles for training.On April 5th the Hon. Robert Semple announced to a parade of Home Guardsmen at Pukekohe that the national Home Guard strength now stood at 90, 000.
MAORI AND BULL
A Maori and a young bull provided an amusing interlude during Home Guard manoeuvres in the vicinity of the Wanganui Children's Health Camp. On hearing a crashing noise in a clump of lupins, the Maori, thinking it was a member of the 'enemy' forces, proceeded to investigate, only to emerge, to the delight of his companions, with the bull in pursuit. Despite his ample proportions, the Maori beat the bull in the race for the nearest fence.
Reported in the
Waikato Independent,
7th of April 1941
He also estimated that the role would pass 100, 000 by the end of May. He stated too that a call from Britain for New Zealand to send 100, 000 battledress uniforms had stalled the release of the Territorial uniforms for Home Guard use.
By April 7th it was reported that every member of the Thames Home Guard Company had been issued with rifles. That town planned to form a second Company after Easter, by which time new platoon commanders and NCO’s would be trained. The fact that Thames was a coastal town, and more likely to be in the thick of an invasion was probably the reason for so many rifles being issued to them. It would be some time before sufficient numbers of rifles would be issued to the land-locked Cambridge Battalion.
Meanwhile in Te Aroha, Mr R.A. Wilcox of the Te Aroha Rugby Sub-Union proposed that in the upcoming rugby season that Home Guard matches could be organised. He said that the public was becoming increasingly Home Guard-minded, and competitions between platoons and district companies could arouse public interest.At Tauwhare, at the northern end of Cambridge Battalion district, the Home Guard unit was finding their parades very popular. Under the command of Walter Goodare, the three platoons were presided over by platoon commanders Douglas Fell, Thomas Parker and A. Kata. At the weekly parade the average attendance was 45 members. At every possible opportunity Sergeant-Major Gate of Hamilton attended their meetings too to give special training lectures.
Around this time the Ministry of National Service announced that a capitation fee of 1/- per active member per quarter to cover unit expenses was to be made to the Home Guard. The grant would apply to units on the basis that they achieved 80 per cent attendance by members regularly.
On Thursday the 10th of April, late night shopping was held in Cambridge, and because of this the parade of ‘A’ Company was cancelled. However Headquarters Company held their usual parade in the Town Hall, which was well attended by Guardsmen who attracted a great deal of attention from the late night shoppers as they marched down Victoria Street.By the 16th of April the Cambridge Battalion had reached a strength of 740, according to figures drawn up by adjutant Reuben Entwistle for the area office. His figures showed the following numbers per company and unit:
Unit
Location
Headquarters Company
‘A’ Company
‘B’ Company
‘C’ Company
‘D’ Company
_
Cambridge
Cambridge
Matangi and Newstead
Tamahere and Cambridge
Tauwhare, Karapiro Works & Horahora
_
197
185
153
66
136
Total 740The nearby Waipa Battalion was now re-organised into companies. The Roto-o-rangi platoon became part of ‘E’ Company, along with Puahue and Hairina, with Captain David Dillon now the Company Commander. Kaipaki, Rukuhia and Ohaupo comprised ‘F’ Company with Mr B. O’Connor as Company Commander.
At the Cambridge Home Guard parade on Thursday the 17th of April it was announced that members would take part in the ANZAC Day parade on Friday 25th. Due to this special parade, the usual Thursday night parade on the evening before ANZAC Day was to be cancelled.
‘A’ Company prepared to completely revise its roll, and new roll books were to be available for the next parade. At this parade, ‘A’ Company had 125 men in attendance at the Drill Hall, where drill and rifle exercises were practised, but at the Town Hall Headquarters Company had a record attendance of 187 out of its 197 men. The Company Sergeant-Major, Mr E.J. Elliot, said that during the previous week’s parade 80 men were marked absent without leave. He said it was necessary for members to apply for leave if they were not able to attend a parade. Four new members were attested during the evening. New promotions saw Tom Reilly, Company Sergeant Major of ‘A’ Company become the Regimental Sergeant Major. He would still be attached to ‘A’ Company. Also, Carl White was promoted to the position of Platoon Commander in ‘A’ Company.
Other role changes included the detailing of four men from each platoon to be trained as signallers, who would become supernumerary to the strength of the platoon. On mobilisation, these signallers would be administered by Headquarters Company under the Signal Officer. Including the four new members, the two Cambridge Companies now had a combined strength of 386.
Members were advised at the parade that they were all required to manufacture a haversack from a sugar bag or similar suitable material, which would be suspended from the shoulders by two straps. The recommended size was 18 inches wide by 14 inches deep. It was to contain a water bottle, rations, a towel, a change of socks and underwear, shaving equipment, and a plate with knife, fork and spoon.
As winter was approaching, a notice was given to all Home Guard units that their men were not to be drilled on grass over the colder, wetter months. The grass would become too slippery, and so roads and halls were to be used instead. When drilling on a road, a sentry had to be posted at each end of the parade ground to warn of approaching traffic. In Cambridge this method probably would not have to be used, because the town’s companies were fortunate to have the use of the Town Hall, the Drill Hall and various other private buildings.
A notice reminding Guardsmen that their next fortnightly physical training class would be held tonight, commencing at 7:45pm, appeared in the paper on Monday 21st of April. Obviously some of the men who didn’t work all day on the land took advantage of building their fitness and stamina at these classes. Nominations of those commanders who wished to partake in a special map-reading course were also being taken by Battalion Headquarters.
Routine orders from Captain Kennedy this week stated that clergymen of any denomination who had enlisted in the Home Guard were to be appointed as chaplains to units. The opportunity would then be given for Guards to attend a ten-minute’s divine service in the field during the regular Sunday training should they wish. The Presbyterian minister, Reverend Herbert Hitchcock, was a member of the Cambridge Home Guard and thus became the unit’s Padre.
On the morning of Saturday 19th of April, the Roto-o-rangi Company held its first parade since being organised into the larger unit form. A total of 124 Guards paraded from the three platoons. They practised their drill in preparation for the upcoming Waipa Battalion parade on ANZAC Day in Te Awamutu. The plan was now that the company would parade together every fortnight, with the three platoons parading in their own district as before on the alternate Saturdays.
The Bridge-Building Section held a training session at the gasworks on Sunday April 20th where they continued with the construction of the trestle bridge that was being built to span the stream there. During the work, a nasty accident occurred, when a piece of wood that Charles Watt was using as a lever, broke. It struck him below the eye, and it was necessary for him to receive attention from the Medical Officer, Dr H.C. Tod.
It was also announced in the paper on April 21st that each .303 rifle loaned to the Home Guard would be issued with 125 rounds of ammunition. A plea for Cambridge residents who wished to loan rifles to the Guard to take them to the police station immediately. The statement also said that shotguns were effective weapons for warfare if the shot was melted down into a slug and replaced into the cartridge. It said “Slugs of nature will stop a man where shot gun pellets will have little effect”.
On the evening of the 23rd of April, the Cambridge Borough Council met to discuss the Home Guard’s funding. They decided to make an advance payment to the Cambridge Battalion of £25 to meet their immediate expenses. Mayor Edgar James stated that local bodies had a responsibility to finance the Home Guard, and he added that so far the battalion had carried on without any assistance financially. Councillor William Moore, who was also Chairman of the Home Guard Committee, said he would like the committee to meet and discuss how best to spend the money. It was voted that this advance payment would be made, and the incoming council would make any further payments.
The Home Guard Adjutant Reuben Entwistle then read battalion correspondence to the council. He had an estimate of the expenditures expected for the financial year ending on the 28th of February 1942. The Cambridge Borough Council would be expected to pay £65 2/4. The Waikato County Council would pay £98 12/1. The Waipa County Council would pay £16 13/1. The Matamata County Council would be expected to pay £38 19/5, and the Leamington Town Board would have to pay £13 13/1.
The letter added that although the Home Guard was officially recognised on the 1st of February 1941, the Cambridge unit had been in operation as a Home Guard unit since October 1940, and had therefore incurred many expenses from that date onwards. It was said that the Cambridge Battalion now completely lacked any funds. Up until this point, the battalion had been surviving on a small grant given to the unit by the New Zealand Defence League, which was now depleted. A further letter dated 22nd of April 1941 was read, requesting an immediate advance of funds because several accounts were due and had to be met immediately. The advance of £25 would now keep the unit afloat for a while at least.
Anzac Day 1941
Anzac Day began with a -2.7° frost, and many old soldiers, including members of the Home Guard, rose early to participate in the Dawn Parade. However the pomp and circumstance wouldn’t come for the Home Guard as a whole until the afternoon. At 1:30pm on Friday the 25th of April 1941, the men of the Cambridge Home Guard fell in at the Post Office in Victoria Street, to take part in what proved to be the biggest Anzac Day parade for the town on record since the first commemoration of the Gallipoli landings. The full muster of Home Guards made up the majority of the 534 men, women and children on parade. The column was so large it was necessary for the Municipal Band to takes its place half way between the various units, rather than its usual place at the head of the parade, so all those marching could hear it.Sam Boulton wrote in the Waikato Independent, “The fall-in at the Post Office was in itself an inspiring part of the parade. All of the units were well trained, and the ceremony of taking up positions in column of route was watched with interest by many spectators.”
In charge of the parade was the Battalion Commander, Captain Edward Kennedy. At the immediate front of the parade were 68 returned soldiers who did not belong to the Home Guard. Then came Headquarters Company, with 188 of their 196 men on the parade. The Municipal Band came next, their 25 strong members marching five abreast, and playing the stirring “Invercargill” march. Behind the band were 127 men from ‘A’ Company, who were followed by 29 members of the Volunteer Aid Detachment. Behind them were 17 men and women from St John Ambulance, 39 Girl Guides, 34 Boy Scouts and 26 Cubs.
The organisers had not anticipated the huge turnout to Anzac Day, and therefore the Anzac service venue was changed, and was given in the open air, rather than inside the customary venue of the Town Hall, which would not have had the capacity for such a crowd. Mayor Edgar James presided, and the address was given by Pastor A.V. Brown of the Baptist Church. Four hymns were sung, accompanied by the band, and the Reverend C. W. Chandler gave the opening prayer. Captain Gordon Fitness of the Salvation Army read the lesson, and the Reverend H. Ryan led the prayer. Reverend Herbert Hitchcock then pronounced the Benediction.
In his address, Pastor Brown stressed the need for a religious revival to bring the world out of its current state of disruption. It was noted by Sam Boulton that the Pastor’s remarks were rather long for an open-air address, but they had been prepared when it was thought the service would be indoors and people would be seated. It was also suggested in the paper that future Anzac services would probably again be held outdoors, and a public address system should be prepared at future services for those on the outer edge of the crowd to hear.
Following the Pastor’s speech, bandsmen W. Kelly and G. Mowat sounded the Last Post, and a number of wreaths were placed on the cenotaph. One of the many organisations that laid a wreath was the Home Guard. Following this, the units taking part in the parade were marched to Victoria Square and dismissed.
As the townsfolk of Cambridge met that day to commemorate the war dead from the Great War and the present conflict, they couldn't have known that on the other side of the world their boys were fighting a desperate action against the Germans in Crete, which within days they would lose, and several Cambridge men would be taken prisoner on that island. The war situation was indeed a grim one for New Zealand at that time.
It was announced on April 28th that further courses were coming up for the officers and NCO’s of No. 4 Military Area at Narrow Neck military camp. The fortnight-long courses, taking place from May 10th to 24th, would see members from all nine battalions in the military area represented. During those dates the camp would run three courses, one on rifle training, one on field engineering, especially in demolition, obstacles and camouflage, and the third would be in tactical training, beach defences, reconnaissance and aircraft co-operation. The third course would be for officers only. Further courses would follow.
Between June 14th and 18th a course would be held for officers and NCO’s in signalling. Then between June 28th and July 12th a course on weapon training, section leading and field craft was to be run. A further course on field engineering would follow from July 12th to 26th.
By April 28th the enrolled strength in the No 4 (Hamilton) Military Area stood at a total of 7827 men. Meanwhile in the No 2 (Paeroa) Military Area, which had six battalions, a total of 4457 men had now joined. The position of each battalion’s roll in that area was thus: Matamata - 894; Te Aroha - 681; Waihi - 442: Thames - 568; Hauraki Plains - 766; and Morrinsville - 926. Also in the military area was the Coromandel Company with 170 men.
On the evening of April 30th the decision was reached by the Cambridge Electric Power Board to erect the long awaited floodlights for the Roto-o-Rangi Home Guard’s parade ground. The cost of £15 would be repaid to the board by the Waipa County Council at a rate of 10% a year. It was also agreed that the installation itself would remain the property of the board. Poles for the floodlights would be supplied and erected by the Home Guard members.
Meanwhile at a national level, the New Zealand Government had now decided to take steps to obtain possession of all privately owned .303 rifles throughout New Zealand. They gazetted an impressment order under the Emergency Reserve Corps Regulations for all .303 rifles and parts thereof to be handed in. The Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. Peter Fraser said it was imperative to have every rifle in the country available for equipping the Home Guard.
May 1941
On the evening of May the 1st, 1941, the regular Thursday night parade was held. Headquarters Company had an attendance of 168 men. Five new members were attested, three of whom were allocated to Headquarters Company. The Intelligence Section carried out a night march by compass. A course of approximately three-quarters of a mile was covered, involving around fifteen changes of direction. ‘A’ Company had 122 men in attendance, and one of its platoons carried out bayonet practice. Regimental Sergeant-Major Tom Reilly also detailed plans for an upcoming exercise at Roto-o-rangi for the NCO’s and Headquarter Company’s specialists.At the parade, Captain Kennedy stressed to ‘A’ Company members the importance of regular attendance of Home Guard meetings. He explained the regular attendance was necessary due to the new capitation grant that was soon to be made by the Government to the Home Guard. In the past, expenses had been paid for by the local bodies through the Home Guard Committees. That system had now been abolished, and the Government now intended to pay 1/- (one shilling) per quarter year, for each Home Guardsman in the unit, provided that unit could sustain an average of no less than 75% attendance to their parades (now amended from 80%).
Kennedy said it was now most important to ensure large attendances and accurate record keeping be maintained. It was also announced that the Cambridge Home Guard intended to purchase copies of the newly published Home Guard training manual. It was planned that a copy would be issued to every officer and NCO in the Cambridge Battalion. The manual was one adapted from British Home Guard training manuals for local use, and printed by Watties Canneries Ltd. in Napier for the Home Guard.
Kennedy also told the men that should a member leave the district for good, it was important that he hand in his name and future address to the unit commander. This would be handed onto area headquarters along with a record of the man’s training. If the man was moving to a new district in New Zealand, this record could have then been handed onto the man’s new Home Guard unit.
One further point arising from the meeting on April 30th was that the allocation of benzene (or petrol) to Guardsmen would now be more carefully monitored. The full allowance of this precious commodity would now only be given should that member attend all parades.
On Sunday May the 4th the citizens of Te Miro were given a spectacle to admire when the Hamilton Home Guard were transported in no less than 42 vehicles of their transport unit to the rural area for a full scale field day. On their journey, all crossroads were patrolled by members of their motorcycle corps. Once at Te Miro, the 700 members of the Hamilton Battalion were given a lecture in explosives, and how to use them for road blocks, destroying tanks, and other areas of warfare. The instructors showed the men how to make Molotov cocktail bombs, which they then demonstrated by using against a large rock that represented a tank. The men also saw how to manufacture the Jam Tin Bomb, a tin containing metal pieces to be used as shrapnel, and gelignite with a detonator and fuse. Their explosives section concluded the day by blowing up trees, causing them to block a road, and then they laid and fired a land mine. Meanwhile the engineer’s section stretched a wire bridge between two trees at a height of around six feet, and all members were ordered to cross the bridge. Lieutenant-Colonel R.D. McFarlane attended the exercise.
On the same day NCO’s from Cambridge’s ‘A’ Company held an attack exercise at Roto-o-Rangi, on the property of Mr W.J. Murdoch. Members of Headquarters Company, including bridge-builders, snipers and the Intelligence section also played a part in the exercise. The whole operation came under the control of Regimental Sgt-Major Tom Reilly. The objective of the exercise was a deep drain, about three-quarters of a mile in from the road. The Intelligence section located the objective, and the bridge-building section quickly erected a bridge across it. Meanwhile the activities were carried out under battle conditions, with the premise that the enemy held a small hill some 500 yards away. Referees for the exercise were Alf Swayne, Frank Green and Dave Lundon. The day was deemed a success in gaining valuable experience in attacking over unknown territory.
It was announced in the Waikato Independent on Monday, 5th of May 1941, that Mr Frank Green was preparing a number of special Home Guard field competitions, to be held on Victoria Square. He selected two teams, drawn from the bridge-building, wiring, demolition, signalling and rifle sections, which would compete against each other in front of the public. The first practise for the competition was held on the evening of May 5th. This competition was considered as both a morale boost to the Guardsman, in creating some interest for them in achieving a goal, and also a public relations exercise. The townsfolk would get a much clearer picture from this display as to what the Home Guard’s activities are about.
A note in the paper on May 5th concerned all Home Guard units. A question had been asked at a meeting of the Te Aroha Home Guard, as to whether a member who has lost interest in the Home Guard activities could resign from the force. The chairman of the committee answered that once a man had taken the oath it was practically the same commitment as enlisting for overseas service. He said in his opinion that leave could be granted to a Guardsman for a legitimate reason, but he would still be liable for service in an emergency. He said that while no disciplinary action could be taken against a Guardsman who decided to resign, it was not possible for him to do so.
At the weekly parade on the evening of Thursday 8th of May, 182 members of Headquarters Company were on parade, along with 128 ‘A’ Company members. Six new members were enrolled, one for Headquarters Company, and the rest for ‘A’ Company. Usual training was carried out, and it was announced that the following week’s parade would consist of a lecture by Lieutenant-Colonel T. Patterson of Ngaruawhahia. The subject of the lecture would be on bombs, grenades, booby traps, guerrilla warfare and demolition methods. The lecture was to be held in the Town Hall at 8:00pm, to which men would proceed following the normal roll call at their usual places of muster around the town. Men were asked to save and bring along tins suitable for making Molotov cocktail bombs, and High Explosive bombs. Such tins with lids that contained treacle, cocoa, jam or baking soda were recommended as suitable.
On the 10th of May, five members of the Cambridge Battalion; Messrs Charles La Trobe, William Russell, Morley Boyce, Roland Hill and Thomas Jones, began a 14-day course at Narrow Neck Military Camp. They were among 23 officers and 64 NCO’s from No 4 Military Area who were being trained in minor tactics, tank traps, field engineering, section leading and field craft, and other subjects.
On Thursday the 15th of May, around 400 men from the Cambridge, Tauwhare, Horahora and Karapiro Home Guards packed the Cambridge Town Hall to hear Lt-Col T. Patterson’s lecture on making bombs. The lecturer had recently returned from a bomb course in Wellington where he had obtained these bomb-making skills. He instructed the men on how to make both Molotov Cocktails and Jam Tin Bombs, and also in the use of the new Sticky Bomb, a very dangerous weapon that had been rejected by the British Army and thus given to the Home Guard. With the Sticky Bomb, a Home Guardsman was meant to unsheathe the covering, stick the contraption to a tank using the glue coating on the bomb, then run off before the delayed fuse went off. The action of sticking the bomb had to be done with force so a glass bubble inside shattered, triggering the fuse. This was not the most popular weapon, because it had killed and maimed users in the British Home Guard who were not quick enough in their retreat or perhaps too hasty in applying the bomb to the mock tank. Plus the explosive charge was insufficient to dent the armour of a Panzer tank, and really the bomb was only useful if stuck to a wheel or track link on the vehicle. It could have other applications in destroying lighter vehicles or blowing open doors however. Patterson also discussed booby traps, time bombs, and the types of fuses available.
It was reported that attendances to the Thursday parade on May 22nd was down on the usual numbers, with just 155 from Headquarters Company and 127 from ‘A’ Company. However it was also noted that the message on parade attendances must have sunk in, because most of those not present had sought leave of absence. Those who did parade had been asked to wear their haversacks. Many did so, but other members said they had experienced delays in making their haversack due to the extreme shortage of material. Most that had a haversack had made their’s from an old sugar bag, which was in those days a Hessian sacking material.
The men were told that Battalion Headquarters had requested that each Company complete a report by the 7th of June stating the systems they had organised for the mobilisation of the Guardsmen at the shortest notice. ‘A’ Company Platoon Commanders were told to go through their rolls and add each member’s telephone number beside their name, so they can be contacted quickly in an emergency. If mobilised, ‘A’ Company would assemble at the Drill Hall. Also in the routine orders from Battalion HQ was the announcement that Matangi, Newstead and Tauwhare were no longer drill centres from the Cambridge Battalion. The Battalion now consisted of Headquarters and ‘A’ Companies, and the Tamahere, Karapiro and Horahora platoons.
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The Home Guard and VAD’sThe Home Guard and the Voluntary Aid Detachment members worked closely together on many occasions in Cambridge. As well as parades and demonstrations, the VAD girls would also support the Home Guard in their large-scale exercises. The experience gained must have been worthwhile because several of Cambridge’s VAD girls went overseas to the battlefronts, to help attend to real wounded soldiers. Right is a snap of Dave Lundon in his Home Guard battledress, and his daughter Justine (later Justine Bird) in her VAD uniform. Photo kindly supplied by the late Justine Bird
-By Friday May 23rd the date of Saturday June 7th had been set for the Home Guard’s demonstration and competition at Cambridge’s Victoria Square. Local sports clubs had ensured that no sporting events would clash with the competition, so as many locals would be able to attend as possible. The competing teams were now practising at least twice a week in the lead up to the event. They were becoming very efficient in their tasks, and were keen to give a good account of themselves on the day. A charge of one shilling for adults and sixpence for children was to be charged from those watching the event, with all proceeds going to the Home Guard funds.
As well as the planned Home Guard activities, including pontoon bridge building, a machine-gun demonstration, erection of barbed wire obstacles, methods of explosive demolition, platoon drill, and rifle exercises, a display of marching was to be put on by the girls of the Voluntary Aid Detachment. The VAD had their own Home Guard connection, because their drill instructor was none other than Frank Green.
On the 26th of May the Cambridge Home Guard appealed in the newspaper for tools of all description, from picks and axes to spades and shovels, to be donated or lent to their engineers. Also two new appointments were gazetted, Vincent Boulton (known as Sam) now became Battalion Quartermaster, attached to Headquarters company, and the Reverend Herbert Hitchcock was officially gazetted as the Battalion Chaplain, and was transferred to Battalion Headquarters. Confirmation from the Dominion Commander of the Home Guard was also received, granting official status to the positions held by the following officers:
Home Guards Officer
Official Position as of May 1941
Lieutenant Howard Rishworth
Lieutenant Reuben Entwistle
Frank Green
Alf Swayne
Dave Lundon
Willie Webber
Robert Alford
Percy Graham
Charles La Trobe
W.L. De Latour
Frank Oliver
Jimmy Jeans
Gordon Vosper
Arthur Richardson
Alfred Bluck
Battalion Second-in-Command
Battalion Adjutant
Headquarters Company Commander
‘A’ Company Commander
‘A’ Company Second-in-Command
Platoon Commander
Platoon Commander
Platoon Commander
Platoon Commander
Platoon Commander
Platoon Commander
Platoon Commander
Platoon Commander
Transport Officer
Intelligence officer and Assistant AdjOn the 29th of May at the Thursday night parade, 166 men paraded with Headquarters Company where they carried out their usual specialist training. Frank Green outlined to the Company his plans for the upcoming Victoria Square demonstration. In the Drill Hall a very good attendance was recorded for ‘A’ Company, where a lecture was given by Platoon Commander Willie Webber on discipline, before Morley Boyce told the men about the training he had undertaken at the recent Narrow Neck course. A route march that followed the parade was cut short when the men were caught in a shower of rain.
June 1941
A column published in the Waikato Independent on the 2nd of June 1941 promoting the upcoming Home Guard demonstration said that the money raised from gate takings would go towards equipment for Headquarters Company. It stated that the Company had been “handicapped seriously through lack of finance”, and the paper said that the public were giving to a very worthwhile cause. It also pointed out that the Home Guards who were to attend the day were also paying the admission fee, as they did not expect the public to do any more than they would do themselves. The money collected would be put into a fund, to be run in much the same way as a regimental canteen fund. The display was considered to be a parade for Headquarters Company; so all members were expected to attend.Meanwhile at Kaipaki, another form of fundraising had just been held, in the form of a Home Guard Dance. Money was raised for the Kaipaki Platoon, when a very successful dance and card evening was organised. A good turnout was recorded, and Clayton’s Orchestra provided the music. Mr A. Kivell and Mr S. Kite carried out the duties of Masters of Ceremonies.
On Thursday June 5th the parade saw 138 men of Headquarters Company attend, where they carried out the final preparation for Saturday’s display. At the Drill Hall, 116 men attended the parade of ‘A’ Company, where platoon and rifle drill was exercised.
The day they had all been waiting for, and training for, came on Saturday the 7th of June 1941. The day of the Home Guard demonstration and competition had arrived. Members of Headquarters Company and the VAD paraded at 1:45pm at the Cambridge Post Office, and marched up Victoria Street behind the Cambridge Municipal Band to the town square. At Victoria Square, around 600 spectators had gathered to watch and warmly applaud the display. Of particular note within the ranks of the Home Guard was the Machine-gun Section, whose members were all wearing khaki drill uniforms, which they had provided for themselves. This made them look much more like soldiers than their fellow Guardsmen, who still paraded in civilian clothes with brassard armbands.
Frank Green, who ran the display, explained to the public each event as it happened. First into action were the bridge builders, No 1 Section of No 5 Platoon, under the command of Sgt Roland Hill. They constructed a pontoon bridge from eight large barrels, some timber and some rope. The bridge was completed in 7 minutes, 5 1/2 seconds, and was capable of supporting the weight of 20 people. Later, No 2 Section of No 5 platoon, under Cpl. Archibald McVicar, constructed a similar pontoon bridge in 7 minutes, 36 1/2 seconds. The bridges were then judged, and No 1 Section, who had made better time, was declared the winners.
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Home Guard Boat BuildersMore Home Guard raft builders. Slightly different from the previous similar photo, in this oen second from left, standing is Alby Voyle, and beside him in the hat is Les Weight. In the front row, second from left is a Mr Mitchell. Names put to faces by Alby Voyle. The raft they have built above is likely to be very similar to the pontoon bridge described in the text made by the Bridge-Builders, and in fact this may be a bridge they're sitting on rather than a raft. This was taken in front of the Drill Hall in Fort Street, now demolished. Photo: Frank Green Collection, Cambridge Museum
_Three platoons, No’s 2, 3 and 4, then carried out marching exercises with rifles. ‘A’ Company Commander Alf Swayne judged their precision and drill. He deemed that No 2 Platoon, drilled by Sgt. Dick Newcombe, was the winner. No 3 Platoon had been drilled by Sgt. Gilbert McCandlish, and No 4 by Company Sgt-Major E.J. Elliot.
The VAD nurses then displayed their marching abilities, under the watchful eye of their drill instructor Frank Green. They were said to have made a fine sight in their white uniforms and flowing red capes. Sgt Roland Hill’s section then constructed a double apron barbed wire fence, completing the task in just 10 minutes 45 seconds.
While the fence was being erected, the machine gunners led by Sgt Cecil Thompson, mounted a gun to cover the entanglements. They then dismantled the fence in 10 minutes, which was deemed excellent considering the care taken in winding the fence.The demolition squad, under Cpl Jones, then fired off a number of explosives, demonstrating both fuse type detonation, and electric cable fired pyrotechnics. During the whole of the afternoon’s activities, the Signals section sent messages to each other from one end of the square to the other, using both flags and lights.
When the activities concluded, Captain Kennedy congratulated Frank Green and the officers and men who took part in the display. He also said he hoped the public had both enjoyed the day, and gained a better grasp of what the Home Guard had actually been training to do for the past year. He was quoted as saying to the public, “At the present time, every man worth his salt and who is prepared to do something in the defence of his country, is either serving in the Home Guard or the EPS, if he is not eligible to be in the Armed Forces.”
The takings at the entrance of Victoria Square, which in those days had a high hedge around with an entrance gate, amounted to £31 13/- for the Home Guard fund. A grand effort all round.
‘A’ Company commander Alf Swayne announced at the parade on Thursday June 12th that a change was being made in the training schedule. He said that in future, night-time parades would be held fortnightly only, and during the alternate weeks a daytime parade would be held on the Sunday. He announced that the first such day parade would commence on Sunday June 22nd where the Company would assemble at the Drill Hall at 10:45am, before proceeding to the Leamington Domain for tactical exercises. Guardsmen were instructed to bring their own lunch. The remainder of the parade consisted of a lecture from Major Frederick Kingsford of the 16th Waikato Regiment, and a Lewis Gun demonstration by Sgt A.J. Donovan of the NZTS, who was an instructor at the Territorial camp at Cambridge Racecourse. A total of 110 men and eight officers were on parade at the Drill Hall.
Meanwhile at the Town Hall, Headquarters Company’s parade was the usual specialist training, until the conclusion which acted as a debrief after the demonstration on the weekend. Alf Swayne came from his own parade at the Drill Hall to give his findings on the day, having acted as the judge. He was very impressed by the various contests. He was particularly impressed with the platoon drill, saying that for one-day-a-week soldiers it was excellent. Swayne said soldiers who were training full time might be expected to gain 100% marks in such a competition. He added the platoon which won had marks of over 60%, and the others over 50%.
Also on the evening of June 12th Mr A. Hay of Wellington, who was the Dominion Organiser of the Home Guard, visited the Karapiro Hydro-electric works. He addressed a large crowd of men and women, talking about the Home Guard and the Women’s War Auxiliary Service. Captain Kennedy and Lt Howard Rishworth accompanied Mr Hay on his visit.
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APT ILLUSTRATION
The difference between organisation and last-minute direction was illustrated in the last hours before the Germans entered the Greek city of Salonika.
Notices were posted on walls calling all able-bodied men to take up arms, and with rifles, old and modern, revolvers and swords, the “Home Guard” went out to harry the German armoured advance down the Vardar Valley.
Meanwhile women dug shelters, and attempted to improve the city’s defences. Preparedness can do much better.
The Home Guard in New Zealand must be brought as rapidly as possible into fighting shape so as to be ready, not when the enemy is at the gates, but long before.
Reported in the
Waikato independent,
2nd June 1941.
By mid-June 1941 the Cambridge Home Guard was fast becoming a very efficient fighting unit. However, at the neighbouring town of Te Awamutu, all was not well. Their own Home Guard was seemingly suffering from a drop in interest. It was reported on June 16th in the Waikato Independent that the Home Guard movement there had “shown a very serious falling off in recent months.” The report stated that at the last parade just 35 members turned up out of a full Company.
Although Cambridge was still going strong in terms of numbers and morale, a steady decline in interest was being felt in many units around the country. Some found this to be very unpatriotic, especially following the momentum that the Home Guard across the country had initially seen. A lot of discussion had arisen at Home Guard committee and Farmers’ meetings around New Zealand, as to whether the Government should make joining the Home Guard and EPS compulsory. Many staunch believers in the merits of the Home Guards were all for compulsory conscription, but others were not so convinced. After all, some argued, who is to say that a man is fit for service simply because he meets the age criteria. Others said that if someone hadn’t volunteered by this time, then they obviously don’t want to join and wouldn’t be of much use if conscripted because they won’t want to be there.
At a parade in Te Aroha, the local Home Guard’s Commanding Officer, Captain B.H. Horner, was quoted as saying:
“As you are aware, the number of Guardsmen has been gradually slipping back. I think it is partly due to some of the more easy-going men losing interest and wondering whether it is all worthwhile, with the somewhat scant encouragement from those in authority. The other crowd, those most contemptible creatures of all, are those who do nothing but talk. They sit back and give neither sixpence of their money nor five minutes of their time in the national effort, but they talk and whine all day.”
Perhaps the publication of these thought-provoking words in newspapers across the country would have helped jog a few of the complacent men into action. One theory that had been floated to explain why interest was dropping off, and recruitment was down, was the lack of rifles and uniforms. This discouraging situation was however soon to change for some units in the Waikato area. By mid-June the Hamilton Police had collected a total of 1423 rifles, all .303 calibre, under the Government’s impressment order that had been issued two months before. These rifles were being distributed to Home Guard units. It was expected that the impressment would seize 1500 rifles from the area when complete, so the target was nearly reached.
On the evening of Tuesday the 17th of June 1941, the Cambridge Home Guard Committee met to discuss finances. The committee approved the allocation of payments by local bodies for 1941. After much discussion on the finance of the Home Guard, the General consensus agreed that greater monetary assistance should be forthcoming from the New Zealand Government. The statement for estimated expenditure for the Cambridge Battalion was listed as follows:
_
_
_
Travelling
Manuals, equipment, stores
_
£50
£50
Total £132 10/-
_
_
_
_
Travelling
Manuals, etc
Lighting of Halls
_
£2
£10
£4
Total £18 10/-
_
_
_
_
Travelling
Manuals, etc.
Lighting of Halls
_
£2
£5
£4
Total £13 10/-
_
_
_
_
_
Travelling
Manuals, etc.
Flood Lighting
Lighting of Halls
_
£5
£1 10/-
£10
£2
Total £20
_
_
_
Travelling
Manuals, etc.
_
£5
£1 10/-
Total £8
_
_
_
_
Travelling
Manuals, etc.
Lighting of Halls
_
£5
£1 10/-
£2
Total £10
So the grand total costs for the Cambridge Battalion for 1941 were estimated as:
Travelling
Manuals, etc.
Flood Lighting
Lighting of Halls
Sub Total
£42
£69
£69 10/-
£10
£12
£202 10 -Less The Expected Capitation Grant - £45 (From the NZ Govt)
Total Estimated Cost for 1941 £157 10/-This total balance would be met by the various local bodies, according to the number of men in their district who belong to the Battalion. So the costs were split accordingly like this:
That Area In Battalion154
£52 16/ -
118
£33 6/ 6
62
£19 15/ 1
154
£38 7/ -
46
£13 5/ 5
Although the secretary of the committee, Reuben Entwistle, was not present, he forwarded a statement to the meeting. He stated that it was difficult to accurately forecast the exact costs, and also pointed out that the Government Capitation Grant figure of £45 was based on that owed for the nine months up to the 31st of March 1941. He stated that by the end of this financial year the Capitation might run as high as £100.
Entwistle also stated that he thought the Cambridge Battalion’s estimated running costs were very light compared with other units. He pointed out that the Waipa Battalion had been granted between £500 and £600 by their local bodies, and the Matamata units had been granted over £300.
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An Old Firearm
It is believed that the Marton Home Guard Battalion holds the record for having the oldest firearm in military use in New Zealand. The weapon is the property of Sergeant-Major W.C. Whittington, being a long-muzzle-loading musket bearing the New Zealand Government military issue stamp, but undated. It is considered that this smooth-bore musket must have been one of the first issued in New Zealand.
Reported in the
Waikato Independent,
9th June 1941
Captain Kennedy also told the committee that the estimates for travelling might be light, because when parades are held in the daytime, transport has to be provided for Guardsmen. As more regular daytime parades were now scheduled, costs of transport and travelling expenses were expected to rise. He said he personally used 35 gallons of petrol per month travelling between each unit. Kennedy also suggested that the Capitation grant was not meant to cover the entire costs of the Home Guard, but merely to assist the local bodies in meeting those expenses.
However the Mayor Edgar James said he felt the Government’s allocation should be larger. He compared the financial situation with that of the Government spending money to keep Territorials in camp. With this comparison he said that if the Government considered the Home Guard with the same importance as the Territorials in the defence of New Zealand, they therefore should commit more money to the costs.
He said that Home Guardsmen were prepared to give up their time to train at their own expense. He suggested that the pay of the Territorials should be reduced by one shilling a day, with the money going towards the Home Guard costs.
Committee member William Moore added, “The Government seems to be starving the Home Guard throughout the country.” Company Commander Alf Swayne also pointed out that the Cambridge Battalion’s Guardsmen were spending £1500 per year in petrol, from which the Government received £500 in taxes.
Captain Kennedy said he was taking the matter of Home Guard finances up with the local Member of Parliament for Waikato, Mr W.S. Gooseman. He said the position seemed that the keener a Home Guard member was, the more he paid to be trained, which wasn’t right at all.
The representatives of the various local bodies all seemed in agreement that they would pay towards the Home Guard Battalion’s finances, but they also all agreed that the Government should do more in the future to assist in paying costs. Mr Looker said he felt that the Government treated the Home Guard as the Cinderella of the Armed Forces. He also considered that while many good men were being trained, a number of them were not really fit enough to act in the event of an emergency, and he suggested that these men could be transferred to the EPS. Captain Kennedy agreed with Mr Looker, but he pointed out that there was no medical examination required to join the Home Guard, and anyone who wanted to, could join. Therefore it would make things difficult to sort out who goes to the EPS and who stayed. Other members of the committee agreed that the idea of a medical examination might be a desirable option. This would then bring the Home Guard in line with the standards of the National Military Reserve. At the end of all this discussion, the estimates as listed above were approved.
A further development in the Home Guard Committee meeting came with the resignation as secretary of Reuben Entwistle. He had found his position as Battalion Adjutant now prevented him from carrying on as committee secretary. The committee regretfully accepted his resignation, and Frank Oliver was then appointed as his successor.
Meanwhile Mr C.J. Hay, the liaison officer of the National Service Department, was touring the Waikato giving lectures on the current position of the Emergency Reserve Corps, which was made up from the Home Guard, the EPS and the WWSA. In Matamata he spoke to members of these three organisations, where he outlined that the Government had now decided to split the Home Guard into three divisions. He explained how these divisions would be divided.
The First Division would be solely made up from men who were trained to a high state of efficiency, thus they would join the front rank of the fighting when attached to the Fighting Forces. The Second Division would be men who were equally well as trained as the First Division but would act as reserves for the First Division. This division would also contain specialists such as bakers, who would need no extra training in their particular but essential line of expertise. The third division would consist of the balance of the Home Guard.
Hay said that it was now proposed that the first division of 50, 000 attested men would be drawn into the Army by proclamation during an emergency. If further necessity arose following this, the second division would also be drawn into the Army. He also announced that training manuals were now to be released every month or five weeks to ensure every unit maintained a uniformity of training across New Zealand.
Other related items which Hay announced was that the EPS would be in charge of all transport during an emergency, and the Home Guard would then draw what transport it needed from it’s fellow service. Also, the Women’s War Service Auxiliary would be charged with assisting the Home Guard, the EPS and the regular Army during an emergency, so women would also fulfil many vital roles if the enemy invaded.
On the 19th of June 1941, the Headquarters Company parade counted 134 men present. As well as their usual specialised training, the Company received a lecture from Major Kingsford on the operations of a battalion taking up defensive positions. Also, it was announced that Headquarters Company would follow the lead of ‘A’ Company and also adopt the alternate day/night parades. Their first day parade would also be on Sunday 22nd of June, and like ‘A’ Company, the men of Headquarters Company were instructed to assemble at the Drill Hall at 10:45am on that date. Their next evening parade was also announced, scheduled for July 10th.
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Help For Farmer
Home Guardsmen settled the labour problem for one farmer at Whakatane when he could not get Maoris to pluck his 10 acres of maize. Farmers in the Bay, in response to the Government’s request, grew many hundreds of acres more maize this year, but are finding labour scarce for the cropping. Ninety Home Guardsmen, however, spent three hours at the work and picked all but 13/4 acres. They were rewarded at contract rates, and the funds will go to the expenses of running the guard.
Reported in the
Waikato Independent,
23rd of June 1941
Elsewhere, in an address to members of the Home Guard movement in Hawera, Colonel W.I.K. Jennings, the Chief Officer of the Home Guard in New Zealand, said, “The Army has just given us a big task, and when the details are made known you will realise that the Home Guard has a real mission in this Dominion.”
He would have been referring to the Crete campaign which was a dismal failure.
He assured those assembled that much-needed equipment such as rifles, uniforms, ammunition, greatcoats and boots would be made available very soon.
He appealed to the Home Guardsmen to stick it out, despite the fact that they were working with makeshift tools and whatever was available. He also emphasised the heartening effect on the country’s morale that the enthusiasm of the Home Guard had created. He said that during his travels throughout the country he was greatly impressed by the keenness and enthusiasm shown by units.
On Sunday June 22nd of June, over 200 members of ‘A’ Company assembled at the Drill Hall for their first day parade. From there they marched to the Leamington Domain, where they carried out rifle exercises and field craft. The wiring section demonstrated their skills in concertina wiring methods. Following lunch, a period of company drill took place, before the men marched back to the Drill Hall for dismiss.
Over the same weekend the battalion commanders of the No. 4 Area Home Guard units had attended a meeting in Hamilton presided over by Lieutenant-Colonel McFarland. Among them was Cambridge’s Captain Kennedy. They discussed matters of training their men at some length. A vote of appreciation was extended to the county engineers who had been preparing military maps of the area for the Home Guard. It was reported that in this meeting, “provision was made for battalions to be ready to fight anywhere along the area coast and to provide defences against enemy tanks”. Further instructions were given to the battalion supply officers to make necessary arrangements with their local Emergency Precautions committees to ensure sufficient food was on hand for Home Guard troops in the event of an emergency.
Funding the Home Guard was a national issue. It was reported on June 23rd that the Stratford County Council had allocated £100 for its Home Guard to cover expenditure for the period of 1941 to 1942. The same amount was allocated to their E.P.S. scheme. However, this latter funding was given without the usual complaints from councillors that they should not bear the responsibility of paying for the Home Guard. Many felt that they had done enough in setting up the organisations, and it was now up to central government to keep them funded. It seemed that the capitation grant that the government was paying was still not enough to keep the average unit funded.
A suggestion was made in the newspaper on June 23rd. It seems the Tamehana Battalion had recently been presented with a banner for its unit by Matamata resident Mr A.E. Wrigley. The unit would use this banner for ceremonial and formal occasions. The Waikato Independent suggested that such a banner could commend itself in Cambridge. The paper reminded readers that the last time a banner like this was used by a local volunteer force had been sixty years before when the Cambridge Cavalry Volunteers had ridden proudly with a unit flag.
_
Guardsman’s “V.C.”
At zero hour, 14:05hrs., No 2 Platoon of the Pukekohe Home Guard Company went “over the top” during recent manoeuvres at Puni. For the first half-mile all went well, and then they came under sudden heavy fire from the strong posts. Progress for the moment became impossible, and messages were sent back for reinforcements. These evidently were too tardy to suit one Guardsman so he decided to take the matter into his own hands. Creeping over a stretch of dead ground, he suddenly sprang to his feet and made a dashing bayonet attack on the post. Possibly he had been reading about the Maoris in Crete. One of the umpires coming up at the moment, solemnly decorated him with a sprig of tea-tree. “What’s that for?” he asked. “V.C. my lad. Very gallant attempt. Posthumous award, unfortunately, though. You were like a sieve before you got within 20 yards of them.”
Reported in the
Waikato Independent,
23rd of June 1941
That CCV flag was by 1941 a fixture in the Borough Council Chamber.
Subsequently it was kept in the reading room at the Cambridge Returned Services Association clubrooms in Empire Street, though its location changed recently to the Cambridge Museum in Victoria Street following the closure of the Cambridge RSA.
The evening parade for ‘A’ Company on the 26th of June saw 120 members in attendance. The planned outdoor activities were cancelled due to bad weather, and Alf Swayne, Willie Webber and Major Feederick Kingsford of the 16th Waikato Regiment gave the men lectures. Also discussed was the time that members preferred their daytime parades to start. A vote was taken and the majority ruled that parades would be set for 1:00pm and carrying through to about 3:00pm. The next date for an ‘A’ Company day parade was set for July 6th.
An interesting decision was made in Te Awamutu near the end of June 1941. At a meeting of the Waikato Manpower Committee held in that town it was decreed that all appeals by men liable for Territorial training, where their adjournments were indefinite, would be granted a condition that the recruit must either join, or remain a member of the Home Guard and attend parades regularly. If they failed to comply, the committee had the power to direct the man into training with the Territorials immediately without notice.
