Citizens Defence Corps

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Citizens’ Defence Corps
Canterbury’s WW1 Home Guard Volunteer Units

The Citizens’ Defence Corps (C.D.C.) was established in Christchurch on the 29th of October 1914 by Mr. George Harper. Harper called a meeting at the Chamber of Commerce rooms, attended by 250 people, where it was decided to form the semi-military C.D.C. The main objective was to form a line of home defence manned by partially trained but enthusiastic men to defend the country when all the young and middle-aged men were away at the front. The C.D.C. was not designed to be a permanent force but was to be for the duration of the current war. The men were formed into units that were based around the suburbs of Christchurch; these units were formed into platoons and sections and were run along military lines. The idea was similar to that of the Fencibles of 1847-1858 and what would be the Home Guard of 1940-1943.

The idea of a Reserve (later referred to as National Reserve) was mentioned in the Defence act of 1909. The Reserve was designed to keep together the former volunteer servicemen and ex-military men so that they could be called upon if necessary. With the newly created Territorial Force receiving a lot of attention the reserve was not well subscribed to and was still being established when war broke out in August 1914. The National Reserve was strong in the Otago district but in Canterbury the C.D.C. came to the fore and over-shadowed any attempts to strengthen the National Reserve in the region.

The C.D.C. was not officially sanctioned by the Government or the Defence Forces of the Dominion but would later consult with the Government on military reserve matters for the Canterbury region. Enrolment was on a voluntary basis and open to any men over the age of 25. Each unit had a commander and a committee that was elected by the members. Most of the members had seen service in the Volunteers and/or, the Territorial’s and were either unfit for military service or who were waiting to be called up. The C.D.C. was run by an executive committee with a premises located at 240 Durham Street, Christchurch. Mr. Harper was elected as president and Mr. Dougall as Commandant. On formation the units were Sydenham, City, St Albans, Richmond, Fendalton, Sumner, Cashmere, Linwood, Woolston Riccarton and Addington. Initially the activities undertaken by the C.D.C. were very patriotic. They undertook drill, exercises, skirmishes and route marches and competed in shooting matches against other C.D.C sections. They encouraged enlistment, held patriotic concerts and public displays and contributed to other activities that added to the patriotic fervour that was rife at the time.

As this patriotic fever grew, the C.D.C. expanded within Christchurch and surrounding districts. On Tuesday 8th December, a meeting was held by ex-members of the volunteer No. 1 company of the field engineers who voted to form an Engineers unit of the C.D.C. to incorporate civil, electrical, mechanical and workers of engineering companies. Ashburton, Tinwald, Kaiapoi, Kaikoura and Timaru all had one or more units of the C.D.C. In Lyttelton a meeting was held, and a unit was formed on 17th December 1914. A Lyttelton Coast Defence Band was also established. The Ashburton C.D.C. was formed in late 1914 and officially recorded their name as the ‘Ashburton Rifle Club’ so that they could secure Government recognition, but the corps was known locally as the Ashburton Citizens’ Defence Corps. The Tinwald unit and the Ashburton band were formed on 21st December 1914. Ashburton was divided into four districts, each with a unit. On the 29th of December 1914 a meeting was held in Akaroa. A unanimous vote agreed to the forming of a unit on Banks Peninsula with its headquarters in Akaroa. This was likely known as the ‘Peninsula Unit’. On 8th January 1915 the Christchurch Field Artillery reserve was formed and was initially only open to ex-E Battery members. Later the unit was opened to untrained men with the idea that they would receive training in artillery drills. In June 1915 the Christchurch Rugby Union held a meeting of footballers and it was decided to establish a footballer's unit of the C.D.C. This unit was called the ‘Footballers’ . Although 80 members were enrolled and with 30 regular attendees, the Footballers unit went into remission on 12th October 1915 due to a poor turn out. It was envisaged that the unit reassemble at the beginning of the football season in 1916.
Known Units of the Citizens’ Defence Corps

Sydenham (No 1 unit)
Cashmere (No2 unit)
Woolston-Opawa (No 3 unit)
Fendalton (No 4 unit)
Sumner-Redcliffs (No 5 unit)
No 1 section-East of Hardwick st
No 2 section-Redcliffs
No 3 section-Clifton and Richmond hills
No 4 section-West of Hardwick st
Richmond-Avonside* (No 6 unit)
Linwood* (No 7 unit) 4 platoons
Women’s platoon
St Albans* (No 8 unit) 4 platoons
City* (No 9 unit) 1 Platoon
2 Platoon
3 Platoon
4 Platoon
Addington* (No 10unit)
Riccarton* (No 11 unit)
Islington Platoon
Upper Riccarton
Lower Riccarton
Footballers (No 12 unit)
Lyttelton Coast Defence* (No 13 unit)
Lyttelton Coast Defence Band
Christchurch Field Artillery Reserve
Christchurch Band
Engineers*
New Brighton**
Akaroa/Peninsula
No1- Akaroa central
No2- Akaroa north end
No3- Akaroa south end
No4- Akaroa south end
No5- Akaroa general
Tinwald
Kaiapoi*
Timaru
Ashburton*
No1- Northwest of railway line
No2- Southeast of railway line
No3- Allenton
No4- Hampstead
Band
* Known examples of surviving badges.
It is not known if all units had badges.
** The New Brighton platoon was part of the National Reserve in Canterbury and attempts were undertaken to bring it into the C.D.C. It is not known if this happened.

Early in 1915 lapel badges were being issued and were obtainable through Mr. S. N. Robinson at 253 High Street. The badge was round, with a half-moon lug on the rear for the buttonhole of the jacket lapel. The front of the badge was enamelled in blue and white. Around the outside was a blue band with the words CHCH CITIZENS’DEFENCE CORPS. The centre was white with a plain brass strap running through the centre. On this strap was impressed the name of the unit. The Artillery and Engineers badges had a gun or grenade in place of the suburb name and were slightly bigger than the suburb badges and also had a broach clip to the rear. The Lyttelton badge had slightly different wording and reads LYTTELTON CITIZENS COAST DEFENCE CORPS.

The badges of the Ashburton and Kaiapoi C.D.C. were different to the Christchurch units. Their badge was a brass shield with the letters C.D.C above the town name, all inside the shield. Officers of the units had a crown attached to the top of the shield. It is likely that Tinwald and Timaru C.D.C. units had similar shield badges. The Ashburton badge was made with two lugs and the Kaiapoi badge was made with a broach clip to the rear.

The subject of uniforms for the C.D.C. was discussed at unit meetings. A suggestion was made by the City unit that the uniform should consist of a khaki-coloured shirt, trousers, belt and Baden Powell hat. The cost of the uniform was to be kept as low as possible, but the idea of a uniform found little favour and was not accepted by the democratically run unit. The Ashburton C.D.C. however did adopt a uniform and it is described as being a grey shirt, dark blue tie and a slouch hat with badge attached. In early February 1915 the Christchurch Field Artillery Reserve also decided to adopt a uniform.

The membership strength of units varied. The roll of those who had signed the enrolment form was printed in the Press; Sydenham (Unit No. 1) 56; Cashmere (Unit No. 2) 17; Woolston (Unit No. 3) 19; Fendalton (Unit No. 4) 59; Sumner (Unit No 5) 33; Avonside (Unit No. 6) 40; Linwood (Unit No.7) 75; St. Albans (Unit No. 8) 158; City (Unit No 9) 213; Addington (Unit No. 10) 35; Riccarton (Unit No. 11) 39. In December 1914 the Ashburton C.D.C had a membership of 150. At the time of the inaugural meeting of the Lyttelton unit the strength of the Christchurch units was 1711. At a parade held in North Hagley Park on the evening of Wednesday 31st March 1915, 578 members attended, Engineers 58; Sydenham 60; Cashmere 38; Fendalton 12; Sumner-Redcliffs 11; Richmond-Avonside 44; Linwood 44; Riccarton 45; City 126; Woolston-Opawa 16; St Albans 103; and the Band 21. The total strength of the Christchurch Field Artillery was approximately 200 men. When the C.D.C. was looking at joining the National Reserve in mid-July 1916 there were approximately 2,000 names on the rolls, but this was considered inaccurate as some of the members had already enlisted in the Expeditionary Force.

By late 1915 the C.D.C. was feeling the pressure of falling parade turnouts and the onset of official regulations to govern semi-military organizations. The introduction of the Defence Amendment act of October 1915, and the gazetting of regulations for the National Reserve, which took effect on 9th March 1916 had an effect on membership of the C.D.C. To counter the effects of low turnouts at parades the C.D.C. was reorganized. For the purposes of battalion parades and drill units were combined. No1 unit consisted of City and St Albans units; No2 unit consisted of Sydenham and Cashmere; No 3 unit consisted of Addington, Riccarton and Fendalton; No4 unit consisted of Linwood, Richmond, Woolston and New Brighton. The Sumner Redcliffs unit remained as a platoon. Due to an interest by ladies from the Linwood suburb a women’s platoon was established in late January 1916. This platoon acted as an auxiliary to the Linwood unit. The women undertook instruction in the use of rifles and held shoots at the Trancred street rifle range.

In May 1916 Mr. Dougall (retired list), the Commandant of the C.D.C. was appointed District Commandant of the National Reserve and transferred with the rank of Captain. In June 1916 a gazette notice placed the C.D.C. under the organization of the National Reserve. A meeting of the Christchurch branch was held on 11th July 1916 to discuss the recent changes of the National Reserve. The meeting decided to adopt the National Reserve badge and 200 were ordered from Dunedin. In August 1916 a meeting of the Sumner unit decided unanimously to transfer to the National Reserve.

The C.D.C. had an innovative and farsighted executive and they evolved their organization into two sections: one was semi military, and the other was the civil branch which looked after the welfare of soldiers and their families. With the National Reserve now responsible for the region’s military reserve activities for males aged 25 to 60 years, the semi military side of the C.D.C. declined dramatically and the welfare activities increased. In May 1915 a recruiting agency and office was opened. A returned soldiers’ bureau was also established in 1915. The bureau looked after the needs of returned soldiers and gave information to soldiers on pension entitlements, privileges and benefits. A soldier’s leave club was opened on the 28th of August 1916. The club was funded by the C.D.C. but run by the Women’s National reserve and was located next to the Grand Picture Theatre in the Cathedral Square. The C.D.C. also provided a club for returned soldiers. A C.D.C. labour department was established and held a register of employment opportunities for returned soldiers. Reading material was given out to soldiers in camps and in hospitals and the band held concerts to entertain and raise money for patriotic activities. The wives and children of returned soldiers were assisted while soldiers were in hospital by the giving of allowances. A committee was established, and members visited soldier patients at Christchurch Hospital, Coronation Hospital and the Sanatorium. By December 1917 the military side of the C.D.C. had all but ceased to exist but was capable to being called up if required.

The Canterbury Women’s National Reserve that was formed in November 1915, worked closely with the C.D.C. by looking after the welfare needs of soldiers. The wife of the President, Mrs. Harper and the wife of the Commandant, Mrs. Dougall were both on the committee of the Women’s National Reserve.

The C.D.C. was just one local organization that tended to the welfare needs of the residents. It would seem that these organizations were influenced by the Anglican faith, and the English values that formed the basis of Christchurch settlement. Christchurch was the birthplace of home-based nursing services in the form of Nurse Maude and was the first city in New Zealand to establish a branch of the St. John Ambulance Association to care for the injured. During the depression of the 1930’s, unlike other main centres, there were no foods riots and during WW2 the Union Jack Club was opened in Cashel Street to look after the needs of servicemen. This club was run only by men from donations from business and individuals.

If anyone has any more information, photos, badges or paperwork on the subject of the C.D.C. please don’t hesitate to contact me.

None of these badges are mine.
Barry

[norfolk regt man]

What a truly great piece of research work.

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Thank you,
Barry

[lettman]

Excellent information -- well done.

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Here is a Kaiapoi badge in the shield shape. (not mine)