ANNIVERSARY BALL

Evening Post, Volume CXXXVI, Issue 4, 5 July 1943, Page 6

ANNIVERSARY BALL

AN IMPORTANT BIRTHDAY The first anniversary of the inauguration of the Women's Auxiliary Army Corps was celebrated on Saturday night with a ball which was made doubly important by the' fact that it was attended by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg. The ball was held in the Winter Show Building and there were over 1000 guests, - the majority, with the exception •of the wives of officers, being in uniform. The general, who was accompanied by Major Holland-Martin and Miss Nprah Walton, of Government House, was received by the Chief Commander W.A.A.C., Mrs. V. Jowett, and Lieu-tenant-General E. Puttick and Brigadier Conway, who escorted him into the ballroom, where they were joined by Mrs. Puttick, the Prime Minister and Mrs. Eraser, Air Marshal and Mrs. Goddard, and Brigadier and ;Mrs. Stewart. W.A.A.C. officers and girls were hostesses, Senior Commander Whyte and Junior Commander Baron assisting Mrs. Jowett in receiving the guests. • The general was welcomed in a brief speech made by Mrs. Jowett, who took the opportunity Ho express, on behalf of the women of New Zealand, their appreciation of the interest taken by Lady Freyberg in the welfare of the New Zealand girls ' serving in the Middle East. It was decided not to cut the huge military cake, which was decorated with a replica in icing of the WAIA.C. badge, but to forward it to the New Zealand Forces Club in Cairo for the girls to distribute among the servicemen. A military camp orchestra supplied excellent dance music, the hall was bedecked with bunting and greenery, 50 members of the corps staged an amusing sketch entitled "W.A.A.C.S of Different Nations,", and another -20 members of the corps took part in a costume ballet trained by Mrs. McCa'skill, of Palmerston North. It was an occasion few of those present are likely ever to forget and was a great credit to the dance committtee, which included a number of Army officers: and men.