TROOPS DEPART

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20499, 8 March 1941, Page 4

TROOPS DEPART

SEND-OFF IN RAIN THREE DISPATCHES MADE PUBLIC FELICITATIONS FAREWELL GATHERINGS A total of HiO men left Gisborne this morning for Burnham, Papakura and Trentham mobilisation camps at the expiration of leave, and large gatherings of the public marked the departures of the respective groups, despite heavy rain during a part of the morning.

During the past few days most of the troops had had the opportunity to attend public and private farewells, and had been showered with good wishes. This morning the same sentiments were conveyed to them by representatives of local bodies and patriotic organisations in the district, who attended the respective dispatches of parties of soldiers and expressed appreciation of their volunteer services.

First away were the Burnham men, a comparatively small group whose car departed for Wairoa at 2 a.m. to connect with the early railcar for Napier and the south-bound express at that point. The departing men were accompanied to the dispatching point by numbers of relatives and friends, and with some singing and enthusiastic cheers the Burnham men moved off to schedule. Messrs. W. G. Sherratt and C. A. Harries represented the local bodies of the district and the patriotic organisations respectively at this send-off and the function which followed about an hour later, when 45 men for Papakura wfere dispatched by the northern route, also from Lowe street. No Formal Speeches Made Formal speeches were out of the question, owing to the circumstances in which the cars were loaded, but the delegates of the district authorities and the patriotic societies briefly offered their congratulations to the men proceeding to camp, and expressed appreciation of their sacrifices on behalf of the country’s war effort. Continuous rain fell throughout the function at the Abercorn Hall later in the morning, when a large number of men bound for Trentham were dispatched. This did not prevent many Gisborne and East Coast people gathering to wish the men God-speed, and to deliver last personal messages and gifts to members of the detachment. Congestion at Dispatch Point Again the circumstances militated against any official function being carried out, but the Deputy-Mayor, Mr. J. H. Hall, supported by Mr. G. Bradley Smith, representing the Returned Soldiers’ Association and the East Coast Provincial Patriotic Council, mounted the dais and led the public in a round of cheers for the departing troops. The cars left on schedule for Wairoa, to connect with a special troop train in which they will complete their journey to Trentham. A draft conducting officer from Trentham, Captain Parker, was in charge of the dispatch.

Many people in the crowds which saw the troops ■ away were able to catch glimpses only of the men they particularly wished to farewell, and some disappointment was felt on this account. There were a number of foresighted people, however, who tool; personal gifts to the send-off functions, and enclosed messages with the gifts, which they passed from hand to hand. By this means they were able to convey their good wishes to individual soldiers, even though, in the press of the crowd, they were unable to approach them closely.