Country: New Zealand
Issued on: Return
Date of presentation: 02/08/1901
Number issued: 1
Gold medal, to:
Presentation made by Mr J.R. Brodie.
BACK FROM THE WAR.
RANGITATA RECEPTION SOCIAL
Some time ago a Reception Social Committee was formed at Rangitata for the purpose of welcoming home Trooper George AITKEN, of the fourth contingent.
The committee set to work in earnest, and determined that nothing should be left undone to make the reception worthy of the occasion. Anticipating from the large sale of tickets that the gathering was going to be the largest ever held in the district, the committee set about enlarging the building, which was made nearly double its ordinary size. A temporary floor was laid down 30ft x 16ft, and the whole was cosily covered in with tarpaulins. This was "a work of stupendous labour", and the members of the committee worked like Trojans. Their efforts were not in vain, for last Friday night, the 2nd inst., the date appointed for the social, saw the whole available space — 30ft x 36ft — taken up. The weather had been watched very anxiously, and although the elements had frowned for two or three days, the night proved a perfect one in every sense of the word. Mr J. Bracefield, of Orari, who acted as M.C., announced the March Polka about 8 p.m., and this was the opening of a social which, from start to finish, proved a grand success.
About 9 p.m. there was an interval for the purpose of presenting Trooper AITKEN with a gold medal. This duty fell to the lot of Mr J.R. Brodie, who performed a somewhat difficult task in a most admirable manner, his speech showing patriotism and worthy admiration of deeds done in the field that would be hard to equal. But a poor precis of it can be given. Addressing the trooper he said — "Trooper George AITKEN, — On behalf of the residents of Rangitata, I welcome you home from South Africa, to your native land. We are thankful that the Almighty has spared you from the bullets of our enemies, and more especially are we grateful that you have been spared from that deadly fever malaria. We are pleased to have this opportunity of recording our appreciation of the patriotism you have shown in going forth to fight the battles of our Empire, in leaving home, and friends, and native land, to go out to the wilds of South Africa, and face our common enemy, the Boer. It is a sacrifice that we who stay at home can little realise. We have heard that you marched and fought under the most trying circumstances, that you endured heat and cold to an exceptional degree, that you were often without cover in torrents of rain, and that at times you had food for neither man nor beast. Further, it has been told us that as convoys and scouts you had to contend with hidden foes — in every clump of bush, in fact, lurked enemies; yet we never heard that you flinched or murmured, and your devotion to duty was unsurpassed by any regiment in that mighty host of over 200,000 men. I cannot express my feelings this evening at the honour conferred upon me. In my time volunteering was looked on as a good joke; we were regarded as mere carpet knights, and it was thought that should the time come we would never face the enemy. But you have proved yourself one of the brave men and your deeds will live for ever. I have very much pleasure in calling on Miss Edgar to decorate you with this medal, and hope you will be spared long to wear it, as a memento of difficulties overcome and trials endured on the field".
Miss Edgar then pinned the medal on, amidst much enthusiasm.
Trooper AITKEN was supported by the following returned troopers — Quartermaster Sergeant FOSTER, Troopers BARKER, ANDERSEN, CARLYLE, and VERNALL. Mr Brodie's remarks were received with hearty cheers and frequent demonstrations of applause; and the scene presented, with flags and lanterns overhead, was a picturesque and animated one, and one that will not soon fade from the memories of those who witnessed it.
Trooper AITKEN made a lengthy reply. He said he had simply gone forth at the call of the mother country, as others had done, and he did not expect such kind treatment on his return. He related many amusing incidents that had occurred on the journey, and presented the residents with two shells that had been fired into Mafeking by the Boers during the siege. He thanked them one and all for their kind reception, and would remember it as long as he lived.
Mr R.J. Connal, on behalf of the residents, accepted the shells presented by Trooper AITKEN. He said that although Trooper AITKEN had enlisted from Southland, he had spent his boyhood at Rangitata, and they did not intend to give Southland any credit for anything he had done. He would see that the trophies wore suitably inscribed and put in safe keeping.
Mr R. Irwin proposed a hearty vote of thanks to the returned troopers for their presence that evening. Although they had met for the purpose of welcoming Trooper AITKEN, they were pleased to see the other troopers present, and they felt proud of every man who had gone forth from our shores to fight the battles of our Empire.
Mr T.E. Dorward proposed a vote of thanks to Mr Brodie for the admirable manner in which he had carried out his duties that evening, and Mr Brodie, in reply, considered that the committee had conferred a great honour upon him: it was one of the proudest nights of his life.
Trooper AITKEN and the other troopers then gave three hearty cheers for the residents for their reception.
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