TO-DAY’S VISIT

Grey River Argus, 17 April 1940, Page 9

TO-DAY’S VISIT

WEST COAST TROOPS Parade 1 hrough Streets199 MEN OF ALL RANKS. An event unique in the history of the West Coast, will be the visit of 199 officers and men of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force who arrive this afternoon and leave on return to Burnham Military Camp i to-morrow morning. One hundred I and fifty men will parade in Grey- ■ mouth and Hokitika, and 49 in Reef-

ten and Westport. The time-table for the special troop train to-morrow is as lows:—Arrive Greymouth, 11.55 a.m. Depart Greymouth, 05 p.m. Arrive Hokitika, 0.55 p.m. Depart Hokitika, 3.25 p.m. Arrive Karorb 4.5 p.m. RECEPTION AT TOWN HALL. The troops will not detrain at Greymouth on the way through to Hokitika, but on the return journey, they will detrain at Karoro, and will march, via High and Tainui Streets, Mawhera Quay, Boundary and Mackay Streets to the Town Hall, for a civic reception. The Greymouth Territorials and Greymouth Municipal Band will parade at the Karoro station at 3.45 p.m., and join the march through the streets. Members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association will provide a guard of honour at the Town Hall, but will not parade at Karoro. The .speakers at the reception will be the Mayor (Mr. F. A. Kitchingham) and Mr. J’. O’Brien, M.P., and leading citizens have been invited to be on the platform. The above arrangements are subject to fine weather. In the event of rain, the troops will detrain at the Greymouth station and will march direct to the Town Hall. Arrangements have been made with the railway authorities and the police to exclude civilians from the railway stations at Greymouth and Hokitika during the detraining and entraining of troops and the public are asked to co-operate in this matter.

Following the reception at the Town Hall, the troops yvill march to the Drill Hall, where arrangements will be made for the billeting and tickets for the complimentary dance in Schaef’s Hall in the evening will be distributed. At the Drill Hall, persons who are billeting soldiers will have an opportunity of meeting their guests. It is not yet definitely known how many billets will be required, but residents have responded well to the request and a large number of billets are available.

The special troop train will leave at 11.30 o’clock to-morrow morning on return to Burnham. The troops will parade at the Drill Hall at 10.45 a.m. and the Greymouth Highland Pipe Band will lead the march to the railway station. The public are requested to assist the entraining operations by keeping out of the enclosure on the platform. The Inangahua and Buller troops will detrain at Stillwater this morning, and, will proceed by buses to Reefton, arriving at 1 p.m. They will march through the main streets of Reefton, headed by the Inangahua Silver Band, and will be given lunch at Dawson’s and Barry’s Hotels. They will leave Reefton at 2.15 p.m. for Westport, where they will arrive at 5 p.m. for a parade, with the Westport Band, Territorials and members of the Returned Soldiers’ Association. They will rejoin the main party at Greymouth to-morrow 'morning, leaving Westport at 7.30 a.m. At Hokitika, the main party will be given lunch and will parade through the streets, the arrangements in this regard being similar to those at Greymouth. The dance in Schaef’s Hall to-night will be conducted by the Women’s Committee of the Greymouth Patriotic Society. Two orchestras, Arn Beck’s and the Marina, will provide the music. Employers of Greymouth Territorials are requested to allow them to leave work this afternoon, in time to don their uniforms and parade at Karoro at 3.45 p.m.