KING'S BIRTHDAY

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 129, 3 June 1939, Page 9

KING'S BIRTHDAY

PARADE OF TROOPS

AT COLLEGE GROUNDS

THE ARRANGEMENTS

The parade of military units, to be held on Monday morning, promises to be an outstanding feature of the King's Birthday holiday celebrations in Wellington. All troops and cadets in the Wellington metropolitan area will be taking part, as well as detachments of the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve and the Wellington Squadron of the Royal New Zealand Air Force. The parade is to take place at the Wellington College grounds, and afterwards there will be a march through the streets to the Town Hall Representatives of the Government, j the High Commissioner for the United Kingdom, the Chief Justice and Judges of the Supreme Court, the Mayor of Wellington and Mayors of neighbouring, boroughs, heads of Government Departs, and representatives of churches, business and labour organisations, Territorial associations, and other representative bodies have received special invitations to the ceremony, and will be conducted to an enclosure reserved for them, their cars being parked in a reserved area within the grounds. An invitation is issued to the general public to participate in this tribute to his Majesty. NEARLY 3000 ON PARADE. It is anticipated that some 70 officers and 1200 other ranks of the regular and Territorial forces and 30 officers and 1400 other ranks of secondary school cadet units will be ,on parade, about 2900 in all. The various units will assemble in Kent Terrace, Buckle Street, Brougham Street, and other nearby streets by 9 a.m., and will commence the march to the college grounds at 9.15 a.m., moving vie Kent Terrace, Ellice Street, Brougham Street, and the eastern entrance to the college grounds. The parade will be formed up facing south and extending completely across the lower grounds. As space is limited and the heavy transport vehicles, guns, etc., would damage the turf the mechanised units, consisting of the sth, 17th, and 19th Batteries, the 22nd Anti-Aircraft Battery, the new Bren carriers, and motor-cycle platoons of the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, will, during the inspection and Royal Salute, be drawn up on the streets near the eastern entrance to the college grounds. From 9.15 a.m. until a few minutes to 10 a.m. the troops will be assembling in the college grounds. At 10 a.m. the inspecting officer, Colonel j E. Puttick, D.5.0., N.Z.S.C, A.D.C., officer commanding the Cemrai Military District, accompanied by his staff, Lieutenant-Colonel R. A. Row, D.5.0., N.Z.S.C, and Major L. W. Andrew, V.C., N.Z.S.C, will enter the .Dufferin Street entrance and proceed to the flagstaff opposite the centre of the •parade. Here he will be received by a general salute, after which, preceded by staff officers.and accompanied by the officer cbmmanding the parade, Colonel J. L. Saunders, D.5.0., V.D., he will- inspect the parade, passing along the front of each unit and covering a distance of three-quarters of a mile. During the inspection, the band of the Ist Battalion, the Wellington Regiment, Will play appropriate music. ROYAL SALUTE. - The inspection should conclude about 10.20 a.m., when the inspecting officer and staff will take up their positions facing the flagstaff. The inspecting officer then takes over the command of the parade and gives the necessary orders for the Royal Salute in honour of his Majesty's Birthday. On the command "Royal Salute—Present Arms," the Royal Standard (which will have been run up the masthead furled in place of the Union Jack) will be broken (representing the arrival of his Majesty); the troops will present arms colours will be lowered, and the band of the Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, will play the National Anthem. At the same time the saluting battery at Point Jerningham will fire a Royal Salute of 21 guns. ' At the conclusion of the National Anthem, the troops will be ordered to slope arms and order arms, and to remove head-dresses, which will be held in the left hand. The inspecting officer will call for "Three cheers for his Majesty the King." This will be the British cheer "Hip-hip-hip-hurrah," and at each "hurrah" headdresses will be raised above the head, to the full extent of the left arm. The public are invited to join in this tribute to his Majesty. Head-dresses will then be replaced on the order of the inspecting officer. The Royal Salute will again be given, and the Royal Standard Will be hauled down, signifying the departure of his Majesty, the Union Jack taking its place. At this juncture, Colonel Saunders will resume command of the parade and will order a general salute as the inspecting officer steps into his car to proceed to the saluting base at the sun-dial opposite the College. A MARCH PAST. The troops will then march past with the mechanised units leading and on leaving the college grounds the whole column will march through the city via Dufferin Street, Buckle Street, Cuba Street, Manners Street. Willis Street, and Mercer Street to the dismissal area in the streets in the vicinity of the Town Hall. The Ist Battalion, Wellington Regiment, which has a special connection with the city, will on its way to its dismissal area march past the Mayor of Wellington at the Town Hall at approximately 11 a.m. With the beautiful setting provided by the college grounds, the dignified ceremony in honour of his Majesty's birthday should present a colourful scene and the .configuration of the ground should enable the public to obtain a good view of the proceedings. The ceremony outlined follows that laid down for British forces throughout the world and will be taking place in many other parts of the Empire as well as in the main centres in New Zealand. The Wellington College authorities have made their grounds available to the forces and the civic authorities have been most helpful in facilitating the parade, especially in the traffic control arrangements. TRAFFIC ARRANGEMENTS. As the Mount Victoria tunnel is to be closed from about 9.15 a.m. and 10.40 a.m., and troop movements commencing at 9.15 a.m. may cause conjestion and will block the eastern entrance to the college grounds shortly after that hour, only cars conveying ticket-holders will be able to enter the grounds (Dufferin Street entrance only). These cars will remain in the car park until after the ceremony. The public. generally are advised to arrive not later than 9.15 a.m. The ceremony should conclude about 10.45 a.m., when the last troops pass the saluting base.