Alf's Imperial Army
From Freepedia
Alf's Imperial Army was the creation of The Wizard of New Zealand in 1972 at Melbourne University in Australia. It is a proponent of pacifist warfare and battles against enemies of Her Majesty the Queen using strictly non-lethal weapons, such as newspaper swords, cardboard shields, and flour bombs. Naturally, their costumes closely resemble the uniforms of the British Army, in particular the redcoats circa 1881, familiar to any viewer of the movie Zulu. These events are called pacifist battles (the preferred term) or more commonly, especially by the general public, 'mock battles'.
The first regiment in New Zealand, The 1st Canterbury Crusaders (later renamed the 1st Canterbury Light Infantry) was founded in Christchurch in 1973 by Antony Catford, who later became the Duke of Wellington. Regiments were also founded in Wellington, Dunedin, Auckland, Palmerston North, Hawke's Bay, Hamilton, Oamaru, New Plymouth, Gisborne, and a company in Takaka. Alfs continued as a feature in New Zealand public affairs through the 1980s and 1990s and celebrated its 30th anniversary in 2003.
Its roots were in student politics but as its leaders moved on from campus life it evolved from that into social commentary more generally.
Noted for its wit and sense of fashion the Army injected humour into campus politics and all manner of public events, and provided predominantly young people and especially students with a healthy outlet for their sense of fun and "taking the Mickey" out of sections of society.
Alf's Imperial Army's battles have taken place against many different groups. One of their major rivals was the McGillicuddy Highland Army, and as such Alf's also performed the vital role of preventing the Jacobite McGillicuddy Serious Party from gaining power. Other groups have included nudists, political parties, student clubs, community organisations, schools, TV stations, and even the NZ Police.
The founders continued their careers in public affairs by turning themselves into The Wizard of New Zealand and the Duke of Wellington, in which roles they continue as of July 2005.
The Army continues in a reduced and less public manner and is now largely based off-campuses. Active regiments are still fighting the good fight in Christchurch, Hamilton, and Oamaru, with detachments in Dunedin, Takaka, and Wellington.
Since the inception of Alf's Imperial Army, other similar pacifist warfare groups — many of them unaffiliated to Alf's — have sprung up around New Zealand. Notable among them are the McGillicuddy Highland Army, the Waitati Militia, and the Czarist Russian influenced First Lindskii Regiment.
Related links
For more information on Pacifist Warfare in general:
- [ http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/~serpent/alfs/pacifist.html ]
- [ http://www.wizard.gen.nz/alfsarmy.html ]
The Generalissimo (and Founder) of Alf's Imperial Army
Alf's Imperial Army Regiments
- 1st Canterbury Light Infantry Regiment (Christchurch)
- 5th Waikato Dragoons Regiment (Hamilton)
- 8th Whitestone Grenadiers Regiment (Oamaru)
. Rivals
- First Lindskii Regiment
- KAOS, Killing As Organised Sport
- McGillicuddy Highland Army
