Reunion in Greymouth

Press, 4 June 1988, Page 4

Reunion in Greymouth

Greymouth reporter

Former territorial and regular servicemen from Northland to Riverton in Southland .have gathered in Greymouth this weekend for a reunion of members of the Second Battalion (Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast) of the New Zealand Infantry Regiment.

The reunion started last evening with registrations and a social evening at the Greymouth R.S.A. This evening there will be a formal parade of the regimental colours in the Regent Theatre, before an official dinner which will be followed by a cabaret.

Cookhouses and other facilities have been erected at Victoria Park Raceway for 230 territorials from Christchurch, Timaru, Ashburton, Blenheim, Nelson, Reefton, Westport and Hokitika as well as Greymouth. Tomorrow morning, there will be a battalion

parade from the Army headquarters to the Greymouth Borough Council chambers where the Mayor, Dr Barry Dallas, will confer the “freedom of the borough” on the regiment. This will allow it to parade through the town in future with “drawn swords, bayonets fixed and drums playing.” The parade will move after the presentation down Tajnui Street to the intersection with Mackay Street.

There, the parade will be challenged by a policeman on horseback — Constable Ken Forman on his white charger — who will demand the reason for the parade. The charter will be'read to him, and he will yield the right of way for the march to proceed down Mackay Street to Victoria Park.

There a day’s military display will be provided, with various Army companies showing aspects of Army life and equipment.