KIWIS CHEER KING

Dominion, Volume 37, Issue 260, 31 July 1944, Page 5

KIWIS CHEER KING

Meeting Near Florence (Official War Correspondent, N.Z.E.F.) NEAR FLORENCE, July 26. Many New Zealanders saw King George and a few were lucky enough to speak with him during his flying visit to the Italian fronts today. On its way up from Via Cassia, the Royal cavalcade passed through the New Zealand sector at. a point scarcely 20 miles south of Florence. Dust was the keynote of the visit. It lay thick on the narrow winding secondary roads traversed by the King’s open car. Where the road wound higher into the hills, the King, who was accompanied by General Leese and General Alexander, paused to receive General Freyberg’s representative, Brigadier Inglis. , . The meeting took place in the shadow of oaks, some of which showed deep brown sears of artillery fire, but in spite of the faint rumble of the guns, war seemed far away. Brigadier Inglis, whose previous meeting with the King was in 1941, accompanied His Majesty through the divisional sector. The road was lined with cheering Kiwis, and now and then the King would stop and talk, to the men. Tile greater part of the division was not present, as the battle tor Florence is reaching a crucial stage. Those who were there were quick to recognize the familiar features under the red-banded cap, in spite of the persistent clouds of yellow vapour which proved no respecter of royalty. Near a tiny hill village, the cars passed through lanes of New Zealanders, and turned round a hillside under way to visit. troops of the sister Dominion, South Africa.