MEMORIES REVIVED.
SOLDIERS' REUNIONS.
TASMAN FLYER AS GUEST. VICKEKS GTXN NERS: MAIN BODY. Two military reunions were held in the city on Saturday night. At one, the reunion of the New Zealand Viekers Gunners, the Tasman flyer Mr. W. M. O'Hara, who served with the Machine Gun Corps, was the guest of honour. The other celebrated the twenty-first anniversary of the departure of the Main Body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
About 80 ex-members of the New Zealand Machine Gun Corps met in the Tiffin dining rooms. Captain A. B. Fordyce presided. There were also present a number of visitors, representing various New Zealand units, Legion of Frontiersmen, Old Contemptiblee and Canadian and Australian Forces.
The arrival of Mr. O'Hara was greeted with applause, and he was soon surrounded by old. comrades eager to congratulate him. Later in the evening he told in his unassuming way of his experiences in crossing the Tasman.
A feature of the evening was an interesting talk by Captain D. M. Rae on "France Revisited," during which he held his listeners' close attention while recalling the names of old familiar sectors and neighbouring "towns and the changes that have taken place since the war.
The following toast list was honoured: "New Zealand Vickers Gunners," proposed by Captain J. Harrison Lee and responded to by Captain Buttle: "Fallen Comradee," Mr. A. J. Billington; "Xavy, Army, Air Force," Mr. A. B. Fordyce; "Our Visitors," Mr. A. R. Munro, responded to by Mr. Carter, N.Z.E.; "League of Frontiersmen," Mr. J. Caserells, responded to by Mr. Bryce Hart; "E.5.A.," Major Clarke, responded to by Mr. Ohlsen.
At Cooke's tea rooms the twenty-first anniversary of the departure of the Main Body of the N.Z.E.F. was celebrated. Colonel T. H. Dawson presided over the function, which was organised by Messrs. J. A. C. McC'ormack and G. Hart, and was attended by more than 170 men. Among them was Mr. P. J. Ewart, of Auckland, who took part in ; his first battle at the age of 15 and is generally regarded as the youngest New Zealander who went to the front. A roll call showed that there were present at the dinner 102 men who went away in the Waimaiia, 27 from the Star of India, 23 from the Arawa, nine from the Limerick, live from the Tahiti, two from the Ruapehu and one each from the Athenic and Maunganui. The Orari and Hawke's Bay appeared to be the only ships not represented. Toaste were honoured as follows: "The King," proposed by Colonel Dawson; "Absent Comrades," proposed by Lieutenant C. E. G. Bassett, V.C.; "Mons Veterans," proposed by Colonel Dawson and responded to by Sir George Kichardson; "The Mercantile Marine," proposed by Colonel W. C. Sinel and responded to by Mr. Mosman; "The Eoyal Air Force," proposed by Mr. E. W. Inder and responded to by Captain H. Lees; and "The Navy," proposed by Mr. J. D. Beattie. Between toasts war-time choruses were eung to a violin accompaniment by Mr. Harold Baxter.
About an hour before midday yesterday about 00 of the men assembled at the western end of Grafton bridge and marched to the Cenotaph, where a wreath was deposited by Colonel Sinel.
MEMORIES REVIVED.
Auckland Star, Volume LXVI, Issue 249, 21 October 1935, Page 3
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