CELEBRATION OF CORONATION

Press, Volume LXXXIX, Issue 26987, 12 March 1953, Page 10

CELEBRATION OF CORONATION

PROCESSION PLANNED IN CHRISTCHURCH PLACE FOR CONCERT NOT YET DECIDED Plans lor the celebration in Christt church of the Coronation of Queen | Elizabeth were advanced a stage further at a meeting of the Corona- * tion Committee yesterday afternoon. On the Queen's Birthday (Monday. June 1), a military parade will be held through the city, followed by a procession of military equipment and fl vehicles. The route* along Armagh street and through Cathedral square i was approved, but the point of the termination of the procession has still; , to be settled. The components of the ; procession will be decided after the 1 City Engineer (Mr E. Somers) has con■i ferred with the Army. The main discussion at the meeting was on the place for the concert by the musical societies on the Monday | evening. The original proposal was that' the concert be held in King Edward ■ Barracks, but the societies proposed at • 1 the meeting that it should be held in the Civic Theatre. As a large number of concert perr formers will require to be provided I. with seating, the meeting felt that thel l* attendance of the general public at f. the musical celebration would be re- : atricted to about 900 if the concert were $ held in the Civic Theatre. The ques- i a tion of the place was referred back to 1 societies for further consideration, c . commercial angle in the proces>1 «ion to be staged on Coronation Day | was discussed, the Mayor <Mr R. M. Macfarlane. M.P.) reported after the 5 meeting. The committee resolved to I? ascertain the amount of advertising : F which the float promoters proposed to ? - If is probable that the Public | Relations Officer (Mr N. O. Steel) will a be detailed to make a report. The holding of a fireworks carnival ■- ?r n Victoria Lake, in North | Hagley Park, was approved. The fire- - works will be preceded by a display 2 by the Christchurch Fire B'rigade. The S proposal is to spend £5OO on the fire--1 works, which will be aerial. ) The committee also decided that a g grant of £lOO each should be made to 1 Sumner and New Brighton for fire- ! works at the seaside. The question of possible grants to other districts desiring to stage their own celebrations was | raised and agreement was reached that The question of subsidies would be fl considered if districts made applica- !. tions.

N.Z. CORONATION CONTINGENT FITTING OUT WITH UNIFORMS MINISTER EXPRESSES SATISFACTION (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. March 11. “Everything possible is being done to ensure that the New Zealanders who will take part in the Coronation procession will be a credit to their country, not only in their bearing on the long march through London, but also in the way they are turned out,” said the Minister of Defence (Mr T. L. Macdonald) today. The Minister said that though it had not been possible in the time available to have uniforms made to measure for every member of the contingen*. care was being taken to see that all were well fitted. When the Army component of the contingent went into Trentham Camp last week three tailors attended while uniforms were being fitted. They undertook alterations where necessary to the uniforms of standard sizes, and for men who could not be fitted in that way they were making new uniforms to the required measurements. The three officers and Jhree other Tanks from the Army who would ride in mounted escorts would have new tailored uniforms, continued the Minister. Firms in Wellington and Christchurch would make the jackets (service dress) and riding breeches, caps, and brown riding boots for th ? officers—Major P. W. Robertshaw, of Porangahau, Captain J. G. Gilberd, of Wellington, and Lieutenant J. N. Overton, of Winton. The three other ranks, Gunner N. F. S. Conn, of Te Puke, Trooper E. J. Rogers, of Ngaruawahia. and Driver D. S. Allan, of Timaru, would wear boots and puttees. So that they would be a perfect match all six jackets would be cut from one bolt of material, and another bolt would provide the material for all the riding breeches.

The Navy officer riding in the Queen’s escort. Lieutenant J. I. Quinn, R.N.Z.N.. would wear a monkey jacket, with blue riding breeches and black riding boots, and the Air Force officer, Squadron Leader I. R. Mitchell, of Auckland, would wear a No. 1 uniform tunic, close-fitting “overall” trousers in Air Force blue, box spurs, and service dress cap. The uniforms •would be tailormade. as would those which the other Navy members of the contingent would wear in the procession.

Except the officers, whose uniforms were always tailormade. the Royal New Zealand Air Force members of the contingent would be supplied with ' specially fitted standard uniforms. Twp Uniforms for Each Man All tne New Zealanders would have two uniforms, one of which would be kept for the Coronation procession. Horses for the mounted escorts would be provided in England, and would come from police stables. The Minister said that the order in which the service components would march would depend on the place allotted the New Zealand contingent in the procession. The governing principle would- be that the senior service, the Navy, must be nearest the Queen’s carriage. If. therefore, the contingent preceded the carriage, the order would be Air Force, Army, Navy, but if it foUowed the carriage the order would be Navy, Army, Air Force The members of the contingent would march 12 abreast, preceded by a standard bearer carrying the New Zealand flag. In the United Kingdom the men 1 would go into camp at Pirbright. about [ 30 miles from London, and would move : into Earl’s Court shortly before the] procession. The women would be accommodated at Richmond Park. DEPARTURE NEXT WEEK FIRST TASMAN FLIGHT ON MARCH 19 (New Zealand Press Association) AUCKLAND. March 11. I Hastings aircraft of the Royal New ' Zealand Air Force will make four crossings of the Tasman late next week in an airlift of the Dominion Coronation contingent from Whenuapai toi Sydney. It will be flown by men of ■ No. 41 Squadron. There wUI be a return trip on Thursday. March 19. and the plane will leave again for Sydney the next day. returning on the following day. The plane will ferry 88 Army and non-regular Air Force men and women to join the aircraft-carrier Sydney for the voyage to Britain. NEW ZEALANDERS AT CORONATION OPPORTUNITY TO SEE NAVAL REVIEW (New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON. March 11. New Zealanders attending the Coronation are to be given the opportunity of seeing the naval review at Spithead on June 15 from the decks of the immigrant ship Captain Cook. This decision was reached at a Cabinet meeting today. The Minister of Immigration (Mr W. Bullivan), outlining the arrangements.

said tonight that visitors would be taken to Southampton by special train from London. They would be accommodated on the Captain Cook overnight. enabling them to view the naval display and the firew’orks iu the evening. Applications for accommodation . would have to be made through the | New Zealand High Commissioner in • London. Mr Sullivan added. If the i ship were not fully booked by New i Zealanders, opportunity would be : given others to apply for vacant j berths.