More Info →Tough Times for Local Cadet Corp

Description

According to Charles Welby, he went with the cadet corps in the early 1900s to the Auckland Exhibition, where they paraded and participated in the obstacle course.

In 1905 the cadets went to the Kitchener Camp at Petone, for a day and a night, to be inspected by Lord Kitchener, Field Marshal of the British Army, with other units of the School Cadet Corps.

When the parade was formed, heavy rain fell. Lord Kitchener arrived in a cab and did his inspection from it. The cadets got soaking wet and with no change of clothes, bunked down on hay and a blanket, under the grandstand.

One boy as a result of the soaking and the wet clothes while sleeping, contracted an illness and died later.

Charles Welby, also with the cadets, went to the funeral of Premier Richard Seddon in 1906.

The school log notes that in 1909 at a cadet shooting practice, Nelson Williamson was in charge of the ammunition. He and William Walker took some home and that night fired some cartridges in the town.

The ammunition was for heavy calibre rifles, Martini Henry .450 inches.

The culprits were traced and given six cuts by the Headmaster Mr McIntyre and debarred from using rifles at the range in the future.

Mr McIntyre was critical of the officers Captain Burns and Lieutenant Woods (teachers) of the method of keeping check of the ammunition.

Another two cadets Enoch Coppin and Joe Scott, obtained some ammunition. Enoch received six cuts but Joe had left school and escaped punishment.

Some Tale

A story I heard on Friday at the School Centennial function: Charley On Tie (his parents had a greengrocer’s shop at the south end of the present Post Office and an uncle of the Leong family) when climbing through fence by the hedge of the horse paddock, would have his pigtails tied on the fence wire and did he get wild.

THE NEWS, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 21, 1990

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Date

February 21, 1990