FAREWELL IN SQUARE

Press, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 25244, 24 July 1947, Page 8

FAREWELL IN SQUARE

CROWD’S GOOD WISHES

With the same cheerful informality that he has shown at every stage throughout his Dominion tour, FieldMarshal Viscount Montgomery waved farewell to the crowd which awaited him in Cathedral square early yesterday morning before he set off on his journey through the Lewis Pass to the West Coast. In spite of the coldness of the morning, the crowd, which included many cyclists on their way to work or school, began to gather about half an hour before bis departure. When Field-Marshal Montgomery emerged from his hotel he was greeted with hearty cries of: “Au revoir, Monty” and “Come back again some time.” After saying a few words to the Mayor (Mr E. H. Andrews) and the Town Clerk (Mr H. S. Feast) he replied to the three cheers given spontaneously by the crowd with the familiar wave of the arm as he entered his open touring car. To the applause of his many young admirers, Field-Marshal Montgomery responded by asking jovially: “What! Have you got another holiday today?” “He must be pretty tough,” commented a member of the crowd who had noticed that the field-marshal was without a greatcoat, although the air was cold and he was about to travel in an open car.

During the drive along Papanui road Field-Marshal Montgomery’s car slowed down frequently for the benefit of enthusiastic groups of factory workers and citizens gathered at various shopping centres. Pupils of the Normal Schoo] were assembled to greet him. and he was given three cheers by the pupils of St Andrew's College, who also paraded