AN INVESTITURE

Press, Volume LXXVIII, Issue 23810, 2 December 1942, Page 4

AN INVESTITURE

* VH TURESQUE CEREMONY

j; I- S I'I)WAL OK DECORATIONS Tlv nlii Provincial Council Chamber ;i; Chi istclnircii provided an ap|i; opi iah' and picturesque' background e lorrlay lor a Vice-Regal ceremony C ip,,,n witnessed in Ibis part of Now Zealand. By command of the King the Governor-General, Sir Cyril N---vali. held an investiture for the I ’-io'val of military and Air Force fhroiaiions. Not since the time when th- late Earl of Liverpool held office tin- a Governor-General officiated at ■-m hj a function in Christchurch. Preeisclv at 11 a.m. the GovernorGeneral and Lady Ncwall entered the Council Chamber to the strains of the v„ tinp.nl Anthem played by a Royal Now Zealand Air Force orchestra, and look 1 heir places on a rcd-carpcted dais which was banked with ferns and Towns. in a pend;, nee on their Excellencies v, .-re Mi- D. K. Fonhy. official stvre(,:io., f.Lior C. J. Tlolland-Martin. milio .\, .vn larv: Captain If. G. Helmore. A nr.: and the following honorary a,,;,-- -ije-eamp. Commander A. D. 1;..\ Colonel G. Bonga.rd, and Group Cai'daiu K. L. Caldwell. Tias Governor-General then annoniii "d that he had been commanded to prr-mt the following decorations, ani extended his congratulations to the. recipients; 0.8. E. Ala jor W. Smith, the Canterbury Regiment, of Eangiora. M.B.E. Captain and Quartermaster W. L. Glanville, the New Zealand Permanent, Staff. Christchurch, Warrant-Officer J. E. Duncan, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, of Chri.-(church. Squadron Sergeant-Major C. E. Tlowoll, the Canterbury Yeonrnanry G;iw:iry, of Lincoln. Air Force Cross Wing Commander H. L. Tancred, Ro'.d Now Zealand Air Force, of Blenheim. Efficiency Decoration Major W. Smith, 0.8. E. Lieutenant-Colonel M. Osborne, the Wellington Regiment (formerly of ChriGrlnirch), Llf'Utcnant-Coloncl R. B, Dodds, loth Field Ambulance (formerly of Dunedin i. Major A. R. C. Smart, the Canterbury' Regiment (formerly of Christchurch'. ' The first to advance wore the officers who were to be admitted to the Order of the British Empire. Before the Governor-General conferred the decorations each citation (which had been signed by the King and also by Oimcn Mary, as grandmaster of the Order) was read by the military secrete rv. After affixing the decoration Sic Cvril Newall shook hands with the officer, who then received the congratulations of her Excellency. Commander Boyle handed the decorations on a scarlet cushion to the aide-de-camp in waiting who, in turn, presented them to the GovernorGeneral. The ceremony, which _ was impressive in its dignified simplicity, was concluded v.dthin half an hour. The Governor-General and Lady Newall subsequently received the recipients of decorations and leading citizens at a reception in the Jelhcoe Hall. Those present included the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews), the Primate (Archbishop West-Watson), Dean of Christchurch (the Very Rev, i\ K. Warren), Parliamentary representatives, and service officers. Before leaving for Wellington by air their Excellencies later received Mr and Mrs H. M. Orchard, of Christchurch at the Clarendon Hotel, and presented them with the Distinguished Flying Cross, which was recently awarded to their late son, Flight Lieutenant R. E. Orchard, R.A.F.