150 Years Of Heroes

Hon Heather Roy, Associate Minister of Defence
Saturday, February 27 2010

Hon Heather Roy speech to the 150th Anniversary Celebrations of the 4TH Otago and Southland Battalion Group; Saturday, February 27 2010.

Land Component Commander, Brigadier David Gawn; Director Army Reserves, Brigadier Anthony Howie, Commander 3rd Land Force Group, Colonel Phil McKee; Commanding Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Roger McElwain; Honorary Colonel, Colonel Stuart McLachlan; Chair of the organising committee, Major Lance Nicholas; distinguished guests, members of the Regiment, ladies and gentlemen.

Thank you for the invitation to join you tonight in celebrating the 150th anniversary of the establishment of one of New Zealand's oldest and proudest military regiments. It is a great pleasure, as the Defence Minister responsible for Reserves, to attend events such as this. It is made more special by my family links with the region and this unit. Tonight, I intend to focus my speech on the personal rather than the political aspects of our Defence Force.

I was born and raised in Palmerston. Both my Grandfathers were involved in the First World War. I'm too young to remember the rare occasions when 'Granddad Jack' would reveal some small, fireside snippet of his First World War experiences. It was said that there was a tear in his eye as he reminisced. Granddad Jack was a Sergeant in the Otago Mounted Rifles and I recall a photo of him, in uniform and riding breeches, standing next to his horse as he prepared for deployment in 1914.

He was trained for Gallipoli but at the last minute diverted to fierce trench warfare in France. Though he suffered, like so many others, the ravages of muddy trenches, shrapnel and gas - he believed that he was one of the lucky ones.

Once, while occupying cold, damp trenches, they got extra food rations that were not intended for them. Everyone was hungry and most wanted the double rations, but Jack said that was not fair. He personally delivered the extra tins of bully beef to the rightful owners. When he returned, his companions had received a direct artillery hit, with several dead and many others injured. The battlefield, however, has no favourites and his errand could just have easily cost him his life instead of sparing it.

The 'luck', or lack thereof that every soldier is acutely aware of was highlighted by Major General Sir A.H. Russell, in his tribute to this unit in the Official History of the Otago Regiment, N.Z.E.F. in the Great War 1914-1918. He noted:

"It must be said that fate, especially in the earlier years, seemed to take a sinister pleasure in placing the Otago Regiment in the hottest corners of the fight. Pope's Hill, May 2nd, 1915; the raid at Armentieres on July 13th-14th, 1916; and Goose Alley on September 27th of the same year, were hard days."

It is no surprise then, that this unit is acknowledged by so many battle honours and personal gallantry awards - the pinnacle of which are the Victoria Crosses awarded to Sergeants Donald Brown and Clive Hulme. My own Army unit, the 5th Wellington, West Coast and Taranaki Battalion Group also shares a special relationship with this Regiment. It was on the night of 8/9 August 1915 on Chunuk Bair, that the Wellington Regiment, having lost its CO, Lieutenant Colonel William Malone and most of its officers, was relieved by the Otago Regiment and the Wellington Mounted Rifles. Our roots run deep and wide and, tonight, I feel very much at home here amongst you.

In 1860, Dunedin and Invercargill were small coastal towns around which there were thriving settler communities working to support themselves, their local community and the region. However, across New Zealand, fears were held for the security of this burgeoning colony and the call went out for the establishment of a citizen militia. Otago and Southland followed on from New Plymouth and Christchurch, and formed their own Militia Districts in February, 1860. So began your formal military contribution to the nation.

Your sacrifices over 150 years have also formed strong international bonds and, because of that, you enjoy regimental alliances with The Highlanders, The Duke of Lancaster's Regiment and The Royal South Australia Regiment. Since the 1990's, members of the Otago Southland Battalion Group have served in a variety of places across the world, including Timor Leste, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and the Sinai. Currently there are 15 members of the Battalion on deployment to the Solomon Islands, one more is in the Sinai, two are in Timor Leste and another is in Antarctica. You represent the timeless bond between New Zealand society and its protectors and, for the sacrifices that you have made and will continue to make; I wish to offer the thanks of a grateful nation.

I know that it can be demoralising to work so hard at recruiting and training soldiers only to have them leave for other parts of the country. No doubt, similar discussions are held often at the Highlander's rugby franchise headquarters. However, I am amazed at the number of 4 O South personnel, past and present, that I meet in my travels around the country.

The parade that I reviewed at the Officer Cadet School in Waiouru last Friday was no exception. You are, without doubt, a major source of quality personnel for the New Zealand Defence Force and I would much rather have smaller units like yours producing high quality servicemen and women than large, fully-manned organisations populated with unfit, under-trained or un-deployable soldiers.

You will be aware that a review of New Zealand's defence is underway. Tonight is not for politics but I wish to give you a 'soldier's five' on this process. Being a professional soldier, in my view, is more about heart, attitude and spirit than the nature of one's employment contract. I am committed to the ongoing redevelopment of a strong, vibrant and relevant Reserve focus for the Defence Force. This will not be achieved by turning our backs on history. The Colours of the 6 Reserve Regiments are a major part of the whakapapa of the New Zealand Army and they will not be laid up on my watch as Minister.

I also wish to acknowledge, tonight, the Army's debt to your families - who also serve our nation every day - your parents who imbued the values that enabled you to choose to serve; your whanau who have and will continue to speak proudly of their Mum, Dad, brother, sister or cousin in the Army; your partners and your children. Your employers, who are a vital, but often forgotten part of the formula of success for modern Reserve Forces.

Young Kiwis have unhesitatingly put their lives on the line decade after decade. So too have our Australian neighbours and the best young people of every country in the free world. Those who have served the cause of freedom, in any way whatsoever, can look into their own hearts and draw deductions, with confidence, about what the fallen would want us to remember. Amid the chaos and discomfort, the exhaustion and the boredom - one desire rises above all others - to leave our children a legacy of peace and freedom.

And, lest we forget, the price of peace and freedom is eternal vigilance. As the old Scottish saying goes ... "whas like us? Damn few and they're mostly daid!"

Kia mate toa.

ENDS

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