Indoor Military Parade To Mark Royal Birthday

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27986, 5 June 1956, Page 12

Indoor Military Parade To Mark Royal Birthday

Transferred from Cranmer square to King Edward Earracks because of the wet weather, the military parade yesterday to mark the Queen's Birthday lacked the traditional colour and movement. Although the troops and the public were protected from the rain, the temperature under the vaulted tin roof of the barracks was low. Except for a few military guests and others, the accommodation for the pubLc was poor. Many invited guests had to stand. The change from the open air to the enclosed barracks brought its problems. The City Council had erected a dais in Cranmer square with ample seating accommodation, but in the haste of the morning change of venue of the parade it was not called on to provide seating in the barracks The public address system was directed towards the troops only, and the commands and the ad'dress of the Mayor of Christchurch <Mr R. M. Macfarlane, M.P.) were only a jumble of noise. The consolins reward for the public who had braved a cold and showerv morning was the bearing of the 700 trainees from Bumham Military Camo and 100 airmen from the R.N.Z.A.F ! station. Wigram. For youths who had been in training only seven weeks. . their work on parade was of a high ' order. Because of the weather, the parade had little of the spectacular seen last , year, when the advance in review| order was staged for the first time i on Cranmer square. That parade was i the finest military ceremonial seen in ! Christchurch; The weather yesterday ; prevented it being staged again. The : ranks were tight in the barracks, and ■ no movement was possible. The parade went according to schedule But it was nearly upset when I the dais tilted when the Mayor, with ; Brigadier J. T. Burrows, commander ' of the Southern Military District.' stepped on to it. They moved gingerly . ,^ e balance of the dais was established. As the Mayor took his stand i the general salute was sounded and I arms presented. While a pipe band ■ composed of trainees from Bumham; played, the Mayor reviewed the troops I whom he then addressed. Cn his return to the dais, the Royal I standard was broken out from under on 6 P" the 51661 trusses, the drums rolled and God Save the Queen was piayed. Troops and all present raised rats and three resounding cheers were i given for Her Majesty. Arms were presented, and as the National Anthem was played aeain the Royal Standard was lowered. For the final general salute, the Mayor again mounted the dais. After congratulating the soldiers and I airmen on their bearing, the Mayorl referred to the fine work being done i cy the Queen in cementing the bonds

’: of the Commonwealth by her tours, - • the latest being to Nigeria, where she - had been received by the native population as enthusiastically as she had • been by the peoples of all her other - countries. For many nations, the monarchy had •; ceased to exist, but the British Crown was more closely bound to the people 1 than ever before, because it was based ■ 1 on a constitutional monarchy, said Mr I Macfarlane. The peoples of the Comi monwealth were democracies through ; tree elections, and that was the reaI son for the esteem in which the moni archy was held. Democracy was de- i ‘ penaent on the people maintaining it • by exercising their rights and privi-' leges. The young men enjoyed them, ■ and as they grew up in life they would, : he hoped, exercise them, become good citizens, and take a part in as many public interests as possible. All were working today for world peace, but it had to be remembered that the rights now enjoyed had been won by sacrifices in many spheres, said the Mayor. Although they were all striving for world peace, they had to be careful not to let their guard down. The young men were being, trained so that, if they were called . upon, they could bear arms with hon- ; our. Many young people claimed that they had little to do with their time, I said the Mayor. There were plenty !of sports and club activities with I which they could be associated. I “On this occasion, we all join in ! wishing Her Majesty and the Duke ,of Edinburgh long lives, peace and prosperity, and prosperity for the whole of the Commonwealth,” con- ■ eluded the Mayor. Lieutenant-Colonel L. A. Kermode, commandant of Burnham Camp, was .in charge of the parade, with Major [A. J. Steele. The adjutant was Lieutenant M. Cooper. Major J. R. Spence was in charge of the First Battery, and Major D. Neale and Captain B. j Bonner commanded two sections of C [ Company. Captain C. Meiklejohn was i in command of D Company, and Captain G. Stanley of E Company (Medical Depot). Squadron Leader O. A. : McL. Morgan commanded the Air Force detachment. Trainees of the twentieth intake were in the bras<= and pipe bands, and the Air Force Band also paraded.

N.Z. MESSAGE TO QUEEN

(New Zeaiana Press Association) WELLINGTON. June 4. The Administrator of New Zealand (Sir Harold Barrowclough) has sent the following telegram to the Queen: “On this day set aside for the observance of your Majesty’s birthday in New Zealand, I beg, with humble duty, to tender to Your Majesty on behalf of the Government and peoples of New Zealand and its island territories, most loyal and affectionate greetings, with an assurance of their continued devotion to Your Majesty and the Throne.”

PARADE OF QUEEN’S COLOUR

CEREMONY AT OHAKEA (New Zealand Press Association) PALMERSTON NORTH. June 4. I Air Vice-Marshal W. H. Merton, j Chief of the Air Staff, attended his! last official function in that post when he reviewed the parading of the i Queen’s Colour at the Ohakea | R.N.Z.A.F. station today. Two thousand persons watched the I ceremony as the Colour was handedl over by a party from the R.N.Z.A.F. I station at Woodbourne. The parade! was made up of 120 officers, warrant' officers, non-commissioned officers.l and boys of the R.N.Z.A.F. Boy: Entrant School at Woodbourne. Eighty members of the R.N.Z.A.F. Band paraded. BRILLIANT SUNSHINE AT GREYMOUTH (New Zealand Press Association) GREYMOUTH, June 4. The moderate winter weather experienced on the West Coast this year continued for the Queen’s Birthday holiday week-end. Dull skies on Saturday and yesterday gave way today to brilliant sunshine. No rain has fallen for more than a week and no frosts have been recorded at Greymouth this year. TAI TAPU MATCH WITH LEESTON Matches between members of the Tai Tapu and Leeston clubs yesterday resulted (Tai Tapu names first):— G. Turrell lost to R. Riddell; M. J. MacKenzie lost to J. S. Free; W. G.Macartney lost to A. Croy; G. Stoddart lost to J. Chamberlain; D. T. Ager lost to K. Lewis: M. Parrott beat I. Tweedie; J. H. Pickles lost to A. Tweedie: R. Blackmore beat M. - Templeton; H. Brown beat E. C. Maindonald; G. Rawstron beat B. C. Clausen; J. Lang lost to R. Lowery; R. Morten lost to C. Reed. Four-ball, best-ball.—Turrell and MacKenzie lost to Riddell and Free; Macartney and Stoddart halved with Croy and Chamberlain: Ager and Parrott lost to Lewis and Tweedie; Pickles and Blackmore lost to Tweedie and Templeton; Brown and Rawstron lost to Maindonald and Clausen; Lang and Morten lost to Lowery and Reed. Women's Singles.—Miss P. Simpson lost i to Mrs Skifiing; Mrs I. Bell lost to Mrs; J. Brooks: Mrs G. Thompson halved with | Mrs Brooks, Miss B. Parrott beat Miss j M. Boyce. Four-ball Best-ball.—Mrs Bell, and Mrs Thompson lost to Mrs Brooks and Mrs Brooks: Miss Simpson and Miss Parrott beat Mrs Skilling and Miss Boyce.

TEXAS TOURNAMENT

PETER THOMSON EIGHTH AFTER THIRD ROUND (N.Z Press Association—Copyright) (Rec. 10 pan.) DALLAS (Texas), June 3 Peter Thomson, of Australia, maintained his equal-eighth position with a two undfr scratch 68 in the third round of the 70.000 dollar Texas international golf tournament today. Thomson, the British, open champion, had a total for the 54 holes of 204 (67, 69. 68). Gene Littler, who was equal first with Roberto de Vicenzo. of Argentina, with a score of 130 after the first two rounds, returned a 67 today to go into the lead with 18 holes still to be played. De Vicenzo had a bad day, but he recovered to retain a 70, which gave him third place behind Littler and Cary Middlecoff. Ben Hogan, who had shared eighth position with Thomson and six others at the half-way stage with 136, dropped back to equal thirteenth today. He has a total of 207. LINCOLN CLUB.— Stroke round: I. Ross. 85, 28—57; E. H. Tweedy. 75, 10—65; L. W. Gillett, 92, 24—68; C. Bennett, 97. 2g —68. Cornish and Tweedy Knock-out Cup—First round: D. F. Morrish teat B Davidson: K. Gillatt beat I. R. Bailey; V. R. Clark beat A. J. Murphy; J. D. Mackay beat L. W. Gillett; K. Styles beat T. D. McNeill; J. F. Wright beai ■ C. Bennett; D. Ross beat I. D. Lamont; J. McNaught beat A. McKenzie; R. Mor- ■ rish beat W. D. Baxter; A. Baylis beat A. Wilson; A. Crawford beat A. Gardner; C. Dartnail beat B. Hurst; D. Halliwell beat I. W. Weston; H. Smith beat G. Burrows; C. A. Bailey beat B Brav- I. Ross beat E. Smith. WINDSOR LADIES’ CLUB.— Bisque bogey: Mrs I. McCallum. 2 down; Mrs J S.Royds. 3 down. C grade, sealed hole. Miss A. Kellow.