LONDON LEAVE

Grey River Argus, 7 August 1940, Page 9

LONDON LEAVE

NEW ZEALAND TROOPS. SEEING “THE TOWN.” LONDON, July 10. “Buckingham Palace and Madame Tussauds, they're the places we want to see.” This was the chief request of hundreds of New Zealanders of the second echelon who streamed into London on short leave this week. Train after train brought them flooding into the Strand and to their mecca, New Zealand House. It was Mr. Jordan, the High Commissioner, who promised, when he spoke at camp, that they would receive every attention. And London New Zealanders certainly excelled themselves to fulfil the promise. High officers commanding the men were warm in their praise, and one of their chief desires was that, “those at home” .should be fully assured on this point. “The arrangements have been first class,” said a brigadier. “They could not have been better."

Actually New Zealand House was not the mecca that the troops expected. There was not enough accommodation. So the New Zealand War Services Association rented the Adelphi Theatre, next door but one to the High Commissioner’s offices, and they did everything possible to see that “the. - hpys” enjoyed their London leavfe, Mr. Jordan was there to meet them, and every member of the committee and many voluntary New Zealand workers gathered m fu force. Among them was Mrs. Frey' berg, wif e of General B. C. Freyberg Recently returned from Egypt, she brought many happy memories of parties and entertainments for the troops in Cairo. One of her chief pleasures was to entertain a party or 25 convalescents from the hospita each week. . The main entrance hall and booking office of th e Adelphi were converted into a general meeting place The men were met, their inquirie heard and answered. At the ticke offices they were g.iven seats to. theatres and cinemas at reduced rates, told where a dance was fixed them, directed to board and lodgings, and invited and encouragedl put down their names for sight seeing tours of “the town -for London is just “the town to the Nev. Zealanders. the chamber of horrors. Arrangements made, they set out to see the sights. Some were definitin their desires, and the re P u^a^ lon 11 ° the Chamber of Horrors had undoubted •• attractions. Others wem more vague and “just wanted the town.” . Gunner A, Davis (Huntly), for m

stance, was prepared to be interested in anything. With Gunner S. Crighton (Wyndham) and Driver S. L. Rae (Sydney), he walked many pavemented miles. “If we see anything that interests us,” he said, “we have a lool£ at it. If we. don’t care for the look.of it. we just don’t worry.” He was hazy about definite opinions. “Everything’s just grand,” he declared. Th e Adelphi was the rendezvous for New Zealand sailors and airmen as well as for the newly-arrived troops. One group of ratings, tirea of the unyielding streets, sank in the soft chair s of the auditorium an; wer.e content to rest in the darkPresently lights were put on io. them, and they read until a restlessness to see more of London returned. Then they set off in a body for Madame Tussauds, and the Chambers of Horrors, almost filling a bur to overflowing as they clambered on board. At the Adelphi Theatre members of the association worked hard and cheerfully. They all agreed vociferously on one point; that the secretary, Mis s Jean McKenzie, had' shown amazing tact, organising ability and tirelessness.

Summer weather’ at its best gave New Zealanders of the second echelon a most favourable impression of England on their arrival, and tempered the pre-conceived ideas of a climate that has so often exasperated touring cricket teams. It .allowed them to settle down in their four camps under the best possible con ditions. After their arrival a visit was paid by Mr. W. J- Jordan, the High Commissioner, who drove many miles in the course of a busy day He wor e the badge of the Returned Soldiers’ Association, a reminder of his own war service, and,, fittingly, ho was the first official visitor. He maa e a number of speeches, standing either on an improvised platform, ammunition boxes, a soap box or a sandy mound. Th e scene and the speech wer e repeated several times, with minor differences. In each case the men were assembled in a clearing ringed by shady trees. They squa-.-ted on the light brown grass, listening gravely, while men not on looked on from under trees and the shade of tents, often stripped to a grey flannel singlet. . Everyone accompanying Mr Jordon was impressed by the MaorisThe way they swung their bayonettea rifles about to the “present ana “ground” was highly praised. “No guardsman at the Aidershot Tattoo could improve on them,” was Pl Every "action wa s completed with perfect timing, and th e steady clap, clan clap of their palms slapping ths rito they “sloped" was preeson itself- *

NO LUNCH, NO HAKA!

There, was a suggestion that- a haka

might be given for the benefit of the newsreel' dogging the official parly. But apparently Mr. Jordan was 20 minutes behind schedule by this time, and the Maoris had been kept waiting for their lunch. So the newsreel men were promised a haka another day! When chatting to the men, a funa of stories of the voyage over were forthcoming. And many questions. There was the case of a man who removed a turtle from a zoo near an Australian port. Eventually it, too, was returned to its ’proper domestic quarters to dream down the ifears of high-spirited Dominion troops. The curios collected were many and various. One man was seen coming ashore in Britain with a large pair of horns which had graced the head of some South African antelope not so long ago. “What on earth he’s going to do with it before he gets back to New Zealand goodness only knows,’’ commented an officer. “But he got it ashore with him, anyway.”

There were many~ comparisons of life in the different "ships On e ship fed its men with unsalted butter, which was not at all to the liking of the New Zealand palate. And tne price of cigarettes on that particular ship was 3d. per packet more than in others. That was injustice indeed. Introduction to camp life in England i s regretted chiefly for the reduction in rations. Meals are smaller. This evidently led one worried Now Zealander to ask a visitor, anxiously and searchingly: “Is there enough tucker in the country??’’ He was fully’ assured on that point. Commenting on the reduced meals, one man observed: “Well', some of the boys may be suffering. Camp breakfast .is rather different now from the time when they could get three -portions of eggs and bacon for breakfast!"