Country: New Zealand
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 05/08/1901
Number issued: 1
Gold Maltese cross, to:
Presentation made by Mr R. McSkimming, in the schoolroom, Patearoa.
PATEAROA.
WELCOME SOCIAL TO TROOPER ANNETT.
Our schoolroom was much too small to hold the large number of friends who gathered to welcome Trooper ANNETT on Friday night last, Naseby, Gimmerburn, Eweburn, Waipiata, Hamiltons, and all the stations around were all represented. In addition to the guest of the evening, returned Troopers DOWLE and WHITE showed to advantage in their war-worn khaki. The executive committee were represented on the platform by Messrs McSkimming (chairman), John Cogan and J. Cawley (vice-chairman). The hall was artistically decorated with fern-work and flags. Mr Cawley having opened the meeting with prayer, the chairman set to work at once.
Ladies and Gentlemen, he said, it is hardly necessary for me to say that we are met to-night to tender a welcome to Trooper Charles ANNETT. He has already been made heartily welcome by those who had the first claim upon him at Hyde; still, by his residence here for a number of years before he went away, we felt that we also had a just claim upon him and felt called upon to give him a formal but right hearty welcome also. Knowing Charlie for many years, as I did, my mind was perfectly at ease that he would do his duty with the best whilst fighting our battles at the front. Where roughriders were concerned, everybody who knew Charlie knew he would beat the front in more ways than one, and that he would always be found on top of his horse and never underneath it. As to Charlie's proficiency with the rifle I am not well posted up, but of this I am well assured, that whether his aim was straight or not his acts were always so. Of his courage there was no doubt —cowards are not in the habit of volunteering — while the fact that he is at present wearing the King's uniform after having undergone the hardships and dangers of a 14-montbs' campaign, is sufficient proof that he has done his duty well. But what else could you expect from a man of Charlie's lineage? Irish on the one side, his father an old English man-o'-war'sman! If that capital blend could just have been fortified by a wee drap o' Scotch, it would have been perfect. What other could you expect than that he should act up to the traditions of his countrymen so ably expressed by a Scottish soldier poet: –
“Hurrah! my lads! Old Scotia's plumes in triumph well may wave / And proudly may old England boast her sons both staunch and brave, / And Ireland's pride, the brave 18th, who never yet knew fear / Struck terror to the rebel's hearts that heard their charging cheer”.
..... Contrast the pessimistic utterances of some of our Home lawmakers with the prompt deeds of our sturdy and independent Premier. They talked, but our loyal Premier performed, and when help was badly needed contingent after contingent flocked around the grand old standard, the dear old Union Jack. From the moment they landed they were hotly engaged in the grim business of war, and the confidence that was felt in them by the Imperial officers was evidenced by the fact that they were considered worthy to ride and fight side by side with the choicest of the British troops — the R.H. Artillery, acknowledged the world over as being facile princeps in their own department of war.
“Be Britons still to Britons true, / Let Britons be united, / For never but by British hands, / Can British wrongs be righted!”
I had intended to allude briefly to the cause of the war, but as time is rapidly passing I will confine myself, instead of saying all that I had meant to say on the subject, to one verse of Rudyard Kipling. With his usual terseness he puts the matter in a nutshell: –
“This is the bond that England makes, when she plants her home afar: Freedom for her daughters, Freedom for her sons. / And failing freedom – war”.
The proverb says that even a worm will turn, and, though humble to the verge of rashness at times, Britain showed when her daughters and sons were denied the ordinary freedom to which they had been accustomed that she would also turn.
The chairman then requested Trooper ANNETT to step upon the platform, and, after a few well-chosen words, presented him with a handsomely embossed Maltese cross. With manly and modest bearing Trooper ANNETT responded. Though severely shaken by fever, he looked every inch a soldier, and in a natural and easy way he described some of the wanderings of his contingent, leaving out altogether the doings of Trooper ANNETT. A characteristic bit or two dropped occasionally, such as when describing the early part of their campaign. "We were sent out from camp to look for Boers, but after about nine days looking we came back without having seen one. We thought if this is war it's all right, and we travelled a few hundred miles very comfortably in open coal trucks".
After a few musical items, Sergeant-major Christian, of the Maniototo Mounted Rifles, addressed the meeting. In the course of his speech, he showed that so long as the British Empire was founded upon honour, justice and humanity there would be no fear of her falling. Mr John Cogan also briefly spoke, saying amongst other things, that he himself, having had considerable experience of the hardships of pioneering, could form some slight idea of the hardships our men must have gone through at the seat of war. Not only had they Boers to fight, but also fevers, ague, dysentery and a hundred other enemies. He had heard a lot about the quality of our New Zealand horses but not only could we rear good horses, we could also rear good min. These sentiments were much applauded.
A few words were also spoken by Mr Crerar, who said: "Ever since I was of a very tender age — a long, long time ago now, I have had a very keen admiration for soldiers, from the mighty men of Israel that were pictured in the big family Bible at Home, down to the hard-hitting warriors of the Peninsular War, the hand to hand fighters of the Crimea and the mutiny, and the gallant avengers of Amajuba Hill at the present day, and although I have not the pleasure of knowing Mr ANNETT personally, I am pleased to be privileged to add a word to the welcome that is being accorded to Trooper ANNETT, the British soldier. In my opinion, a good many of us have not quite grasped the full significance of the war in so far as we ourselves are concerned. It seems to me that in order to clearly realise what the blood that has been shed in South Africa for nearly two years past means to us, we should look upon the war more from an individual standpoint than we have been in the habit of doing. For my own part, I look upon the war from the point of view of what it means to James Crerar, of Patearoa, and it naturally follows that I should look upon Trooper ANNETT as I look upon every individual member of the British Army in South Africa, as a personal benefactor of my own. We are living under the protecting folds of a flag — the glorious old red, white and blue — which is a synonym for freedom, liberty and justice. Had that flag been hauled down even temporarily by the Boers, and but for the timely help of the fearless horsemen of the various colonies such would probably have taken I place, there can be little doubt in the minds of those who have watched the trend of events during the latter part of last century that one or more of our hereditary European enemies would have kicked John Bull when he was down, and very probably have kept him there. Had that occurred, then the liberty we at present enjoy would have vanished, and we should be groaning under the oppressive laws of a victorious and I arrogant enemy. But it was a noble sight to see the mother, when she was threatened with danger — and a very real danger it was — surrounded by her children, every one of them not only eager but able to fight for her, and I repeat that to each and every one of these brave fellows who risked their lives to the end that the old flag should continue to wave over you and over me we owe the debt of gratitude due to a personal friend in need. To fully appreciate the blessings of victory in the present war, we have only to consider what a war with one of our European enemies — even a successful one, would have meant to us, and more especially to the old folks at Home. A partial stoppage of oversea commerce would have ensued, with this inevitable result of a scarcity of the necessaries of life and a consequent heavy addition to their cost. A heavy increase in taxation would also have followed, and the thought of the increased difficulties of living to the isolated and teaming millions at Home makes one shudder. And then think what defeat would have meant! Famine, starvation, misery and bitter humiliation! From all of these, with God's help, our brave soldiers have delivered us, and for my part I have much pleasure in thanking Trooper ANNETT for his contribution towards that deliverance".
PATEAROA.
August 10. — Returned Trooper Charles ANNETT, of the fifth contingent, was accorded a hearty welcome home at a social given in his honour on the 5th inst. The schoolroom, which was crowded with people from all over the plain, was bright with fern-work and flags. Mr R. McSkimming presided, and was supported by vice-chairmen J. Cawley and J. Cogan. …….
EMBARKATION DATABASE
