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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Military

Military.

The Defence Office For The South Canterbury Sub-District is in the Lands Office, Stafford Street, Timaru. The district extends from the Waitaki, to the Rakaia river, and has two battalions—mounted and infantry. The First Battalion, consists of the South Canterbury, Ashburton, Studholme, and Geraldine Mounted Rifles, and the Infantry comprises the Timaru City, Timaru, Ashburton, Temuka, Waimate and Geraldine Rifles, Timaru Port Guards, and Ashburton Guards. The Mounted Battalion is under the charge of Major Hayhurst of Temuka, and Captain-Adjutant Bruce Gillies, of Fairlie, and the officers of the infantry are Lieutenant-Colonels Moore and Jowsey, and Captain-Adjutant Foden. The infantry numbers 530 and the mounted men 370. Lieutenant-Colonel Christopher Samuel Bailey, late of the Devon Regiment, is the officer commanding the subdistrict. Sergeant-Major Crespin, late of the 21st Lancers, is Staff Instructor for the mounted men, and Sergeant-Major Jones, late of the 94th Foot, is Staff Instructor of the infantry. Further information connected with volunteering in South Canterbury is given in the Military Section of this volume; pages 132–145.

Timaru Port Guards (late Naval Artillery). Towards the end of the year 1884, when the disturbed state of European politics was causing an uneasy feeling throughout the colonies, public attention was directed to the almost defenceless state of the town and port of Timaru, and it was in some quarters considered that for its better protection a Naval Artillery corps should be formed. The O Battery of Artillery had been in existence for some years previous to this, armed with field guns of an obsolete type, and for garrison guns they had two twenty-four pounders, also very ancient (they were made in 1813). With such an armament Timaru was quite at the page 977 mercy of a hostile force armed with modern weapons. Accordingly Mr Laing-Meason, an ex-naval officer, took the matter in hand and called a meeting of those interested in the formation of a new volunteer corps. The meeting was held in the Ship Hotel, when about fifty men of the right stamp put their names down as willing to serve in the new corps, to be called the Timaru Naval Artillery Volunteers. Application was made to the Defence Department, which accepted their services, as from the 1st of January, 1885. Mr. Laing-Meason was unanimously elected captain, and had for lieutenants, Captain Webster, harbourmaster, and Mr. J. W. Begg, local agent for the New Zealand Shipping Company. The corps has had many changes of officers during its existence. At the end of 1885 Lieutenant Webster resigned, and Lieutenant Begg was gazetted as 1st lieutenant, Mr. George Wood, solicitor, joining as 2nd lieutenant. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant in 1888 on Lieutenant Begg's transfer from Timaru, and Mr. Charles Wright came into the company as 2nd lieutenant. Lieutenant Wood resigned at the end of 1889, on his removal to Melbourne. Mr. Richard Gooch of the C Battery then joined the corps as 2nd lieutenant, shortly to be promoted to Lieutennant-Commanding, Captain Laing-Meason having been appointed District Staff Officer (in accordance with a regulation of the Defence Department), and Lieutenant Wright having left the colony. In 1891, Dr C. E. Thomas joined the company as lieutenant, and in the following year was gazetted Lieutenant-Commanding, Lieutenant Gooch having resigned on his removal to Napier. Lieutenant Raymond joined the corps in 1894, and shortly afterwards Lieutenant Sidney Wolf joined as 2nd lieutenant. In 1897 the name of the company was changed from the Timaru Naval Artillery to its present name. It was also armed with the Martini Henry rifle, and became a unit of the South Canterbury Infantry Battalion, eligible to shoot for the Major Moore Challenge Shield, given for competition amongst corps in the battalion. The shield was won by the company the first year it was competed for, and also on two successive occasions. It thus became the property of the corps, and was presented to Captain Thomas, on his leaving to join the New Zealand Fifth Contingent as Surgeon-Captain. Lieutenant Sidney Wolf having been appointed Battalion Adjutant in 1897, Lieutenant T. L. Wood then joined the corps. On Captain Thomas resigning on the 16th of March, 1900, to go to South Africa with the Fifth Contingent, Lieutenant F. A. Raymond was promoted to the captaincy. On the 25th of May, 1900, Lieutenant Wood resigned, having obtained a commission in the Imperial Army as lieutenant in the King's 1st Liverpools, with which he served in South Africa, and afterwards visited Timaru as senior lieutenant of his regiment. On the 2nd of May, 1900, Mr. Arthur C. Dobson, C.E., joined as lieutenant, and in July of the same year Mr. George Anderson joined as 2nd lieutenant. On the 13th of June, 1901, Lieutenant Dobson was compelled to resign through ill-health; and Lieutenant Anderson on the 30th of July, 1901, resigned on account of his being transferred to Invercargill as accountant of the National Mortgage and Agency Company. On the 18th of July, 1901, Mr. George Kerr was elected lieutenant. The company is a very straight shooting corps. It has won the volley firing prizes, South Canterbury district, for the last four years in succession, and in 1902–3 headed the list for percentage of hits for Canterbury. The shooting team is reckoned one of the strongest amongst volunteer companies in New Zealand.

Captain Frank Archdall Raymond became captain of the Timaru Port Guards, in 1900. He was born in Castlemaine, Victoria in 1865, and was educated partly at Ballarat and partly at the Timaru High School, his family having settled in the Timaru district in 1879. On completing his school course, Mr. Raymond had twelve years' experience as accountant in a lawyer's office. In 1895 he accepted the agency for the Royal Insurance Company, for South Canterbury, and has since conducted business as an accountant and insurance agent. He represents the China Traders' Marine Insurance Company, is secretary to the Pioneer Terminating Building Society, auditor to the South Canterbury Dairy Factory Company, and the liquidator of the Marlborough Gold Dredging Company. Captain Raymond became lieutenant of the Timaru Port Guards, in 1894, and on the retirement of Captain Thomas, he was promoted to the rank of captain. He was married, in 1901, to Miss Galloway, late matron of the Greymouth Hospital, and has one son.

Ferrier, photo.Captain F A Raymond.

Ferrier, photo.
Captain F A Raymond.