MILITARY PAGEANT.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17941, 8 December 1923, Page 11

MILITARY PAGEANT.

TO BE HELD IN CHRISTCHURCH. From time immemorial military, and naval pageants have been held " throughout the; United Kingdom, but seldom, ,if ever, has one been held in' New Zealand. The people of "Wellington, Christchurch and I)unedin, and perhaps Auckland, are, r however, to be treated to one in the not far distant future. Some hundreds of uniforms, both naval and military, representing the different, porr iods in English history from. \the time of; Alfred the Great are • now en route to New Zealand, and will be worn in pageants to. be held in. the cities mentioned, They have been eecured on hire at a heavy coat, through, Sir James Allen, New Zealand High Commissioner in London, from the British War Office, and after use: in. the pageants in. New Zealand will be returned to the Imperial authorities. The Ciuistcburctt pageant, which will be heid at the Show Uiounaa oh February yth, 1921, litis been promoted by -the olliceis of 'the Canterbury Military district, who met last month and appointed the following executive to arrange tne necessary details for the scheme:—Col. ii. Xoun<j, C.8., C M G., D.8.0., Lt.-Col. J. Murphy, Major: R. C. Hurst (C.Y.C.), D.5.0., Capt. i±: G. Livingstone (G.Y.C.), CoL R. C. Wickens, D.5.0., N.Z.F.A., Major J. L. Saunders, D.5.0., sth Cadet Battalion, Major "W. W. McKinney, H.Z.&.5.V., Major K J. Hulbort, D.5.0., N.Z.M.R., Capt. F. J. Borrie, N.Z.M.C., Major H. 8. Batchelor, Lt. S. G. Bowion, and Captain C. Bull. At the meeting of the executive held thie week it was decided that any profits: accruing from the pageant would 4 be allocated to the funds of the different territorial and senior cadet units for the encouragement of epotts, shooting, etc. A proportion of the' proceeds will also be allotted to the executive Committee ,of the Christchurch R.S.A., to be used for the benefit of married returned men who are not in receipt' of pensions and through illness are prevented from following their ordinary'callings. The pageant will bo held on the A. and P. Showgrounds on the afternoon and evening of February 9th, but -in * the caSe of wet weather on that date'will be held on February 10th. A further pageant, without horses taking. part, will be held in the. Kin" Edward - Baxracks on the Wednesday 0 following that to .be held, on the Showgrounds. The A. and P. Association has Tindertaken to improve the lighting of the grounds for the evening .performance by the installation of additional high-powered electric globes, and an, attempt is being' made to persuade the Christchurch Tram-, way Board to keep their special charges as low as possible. _ ■; .

A very attractive programme is being- arranged. The Flying School at Sockbum have arranged to provide a number of machines to carry out manoeuvres over the Showgrounds, while on tho Showgrounds there will be & of cadets; a, field-gua display by of the esew

of' tho H.M.S. Chatham; «vents organise* by,the Ist Mounted Rifles, such aa wrestling on horseback, tent-pegging, tilting the ring, Balaclave melee, rescue evontSj etc.; a trench raid in full fighting kit with artilery support; -flying acrobatics, the pageant; jousting by knights in armour before Queen Elizabeth; and a march-past pf the troops taking part in the pageant and garrison troops. Bands present will be those of the H.M.S.-'Chatham/ Ist N.2S. Mounted Rifles',' Ist Canterbury: Regiment, 4th - Canterbury Regiment, Christ's College, i>oys High School and St. Andrew's College. Souvenir programmes will be issued, and handbilla will be distributed to the various schools and dropped from aeroplanes. The executive are inviting the WX»E»ration of'the R.S.A., the Navy League, Red Cross St. John's Ambulance and kindred organisations.. Major Hulbert has been appointed to act as secretary f™?™tm with an officer to be appointed by the military '