▁response ▁to ▁the ▁to asts , ▁he ▁said ▁that ▁whilst ▁" he ▁had ▁got ▁over ▁the ▁youth ful ▁gl am or ▁of ▁war " ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁totally ▁" prep ared ▁to ▁take ▁his ▁part ▁in ▁what ▁was ▁in ▁store ▁for ▁him " ▁in ▁South ▁Africa . ▁He ▁added ▁that ▁he ▁hoped ▁that , ▁if ▁he ▁returned , ▁those ▁present ▁" w ould ▁be ▁able ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁given ▁a ▁fare well ▁to ▁a ▁man ▁who ▁had ▁taken ▁his ▁part ▁for ▁the ▁British ▁Empire ". ▁He ▁also ▁str essed ▁that ▁his ▁en list ment ▁had ▁been ▁thought ▁out ▁at ▁some ▁length ▁and ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁consequence ▁of ▁a ▁moment ary ▁wh im , ▁remark ing ▁that ▁" to ▁out s iders … ▁it ▁might ▁seem ▁peculiar ▁for ▁a ▁cl erg yman ▁to ▁join ▁as ▁a ▁common ▁soldier "; ▁however , ▁in ▁his ▁view , ▁" when ▁the ▁time ▁and ▁ ▁opportunity ▁offered … ▁every ▁man ▁should ▁act ▁patri ot ically ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁talk ▁patri ot ism ", ▁and ▁that ▁"[ although ] ▁there ▁might ▁be ▁questions ▁as ▁to ▁the ▁beginning ▁of ▁the ▁war " ▁it ▁was ▁clear ▁that , ▁" now ▁that ▁it ▁had ▁started ▁they ▁should ▁all ▁un ite ▁to ▁see ▁it ▁through . ▁( L oud ▁app la use .) " ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁popular ▁soldier ▁and ▁he ▁was ▁well ▁respect ed ▁for ▁his ▁military ▁skills ▁by ▁his ▁fellow ▁tro op ers . ▁ ▁The ▁cont ing ent ▁( cons isting ▁of ▁ 6 ▁officers , ▁