VICE REGAL VISIT TO GREYMOUTH FOR INVESTITURE

Grey River Argus, 7 November 1949, Page 4

VICE REGAL VISIT TO GREYMOUTH FOR INVESTITURE

To-day’s Ceremony At Regent Theatre The Governor-General, Sir Bernard Freyberg, and Lady Freyberg, are arriving here this morning from Hanmer, and at the Regent Theatre this afternoon, at 2.30 the Governor-Gen-eral will hold an investiture, when exservicemen and others will receive decorations.

The Governor-General and Lady Freyberg on Saturday visited Palmerston North, where the GovernorGeneral opened the Royal Show. In the evening, Their Excellencies, attended by Lieutenant Gordon Tait, R.N.. left for Christchurch. There, yesterday morning, Their Excellencies attended' divine service at Christchurch Cathedral. At the Cathedral in lhe afternoon the Governor-Gen-eral unveiled a memorial to the fallen. Afterwards, Sir Bernard and Lady Freyberg left for Hanmer Springs, coming on to the West Coast this morning. The recipients of insignia, decorations, and medals here to-day will include several from the Buller district, among them Lieutenant-Colonel D. J. Fountaine, Messrs J. M.. Robertson,. R. J. Wisker, O. Evans, B J. Mathewson, and J. Watson (all of Westport). The following residents (past and present) of Westland will receive awards:—Miss E. M. Julius, M.B.E. (Wellington), Mrs C. (Cooden),. Messrs F. A. Kitching'ham, C. F. Larconibe, B. Dalcom, M. W. Curtis (Greymouth), A. R. Elcock (Hokitika), R. E. Kennedy, C. J. Hector (Runanga), E. J. Rose (Kumara), J. H. Savage (Ahaura), C. J. Boland (Murchison), J. A .Houlton (Boddytown), M. J. Morel (Napier), L. R. Duncan (Koiterangi), R. E. C. Mathieson (Reefton), and Staff-Ser-geant G. P. Weenink, M.B.E. The ceremony will occupy half an hour. At 3.15 p.m. the recipients of awards, with their wives, relatives and friends, and the official guests will be entertained at Harker’s Lounge. At the theatre the Governor-General and Lady Freyberg, with the aides-de-camp will be on the stage, and those to be invested will occupy front seats in the body of the theatre to the left of the stage, moving in turn to the stage to receive their awards as the citation of each is read out. His Excellency will attach the ribbons to looped pins placed in position prior to the investiture. On leaving the platform, each recipient will be handed an appropriately lined case in which to keep the decoration. The servicemen to be invested will be in uniforms specially issued, and will be wearing their medals. The public is invited to attend, whil e a number of citizens' and their wives will attend by invitation, including the Mayor, Mr F. F. Boustridge, and the Mayoress, Borough Councillors, To Am Clerk, Chairmen of the Harbour and Hospital Boards, and President of the Greymouth Returned Services’ Association. Preliminary arrangements for the investiture were carried out by Captain Ratray. The first members of the official party, Squadron Leader Clapham, military secretary, and Mr Purvis, assistant-secretary, arrived last week.