Major A. G. E. Bingley, 2nd Battalion Royal Berkshire Regiment, was born in Essex, England, and joined the fourth battalion of the Essex militia in 1886. He joined the Royal Berkshire Regiment in 1889, and was gazetted captain in 1900. He went with his regiment to South Africa in 1898, served in the Colesburg district under Major-General Cunningham and Major-General French, and was twice mentioned in despatches for his bravery. In 1901 he came to Canterbury, and was appointed district adjutant. On the formation of the Eighth Contingent in January, 1902, he was appointed its brigade-major, and accompanied the Contingent to South Africa.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Major A. G. E. Bingley.

Captain Henry Smart Elgar Hobday, District Adjutant for the Canterbury Volunteer District was born in England in 1858, and was brought to Otago by his parents at the age of five years. He was educated at Wesley College, Melbourne, where, as a member of the College Cadet Corps, he took part in the reception of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh. On returning to New Zealand, Captain Hobday settled in Christchurch; he joined the Christchurch Rfles, and obtained a commission as lieutenant of the Sydenham Rifles in the following year. In 1887 he went to England on special leave, and joined the School of Military Engineering at Ohatham, where he studied and passed two courses of instruction for officers in military topography and field fortification, in both of which subjects he obtained army certificates. Captain Hobday returned to New Zealand in 1889, and was subsequently transferred to Wellington, and took the command of the Wellington Rifles as captain in January, 1891. Two years later he returned to Christchurch, and in March, 1894, took command of the A Company, a combination of the Sydenbam and Irish Rifles. The name of this company was altered soon after to the Christchurch City Rifles, under which it is now known to the North Canterbury Battalion. Captain Hobday was appointed adJutant to the North Canterbury Battalion in June, 1897. He relinquished the adjutancy of the Battalion, and was placed on the Active Unattached List, on the 1st of March, 1901; was appointed Deputy Assistant Adjutant General, and Member of the Central Board of Examination for New Zealand; and appointed District Adjutant for Canterbury on the 27th of February, 1902.

Standish and Preece, photo.
Captain H. S. E. Hobday.