DRAB UNIFORMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIV, Issue 22775, 8 July 1937, Page 12

DRAB UNIFORMS

CORONATION CONTINGENT LITTLE TIME FOR • TAILORING [BY TELEGRAPH —rRESS ASSOCIATION'] IN VERC AR G ILL, Wednesday " The uniforms of members of the New Zealand Coronation contingent were not of the best, but criticism has been somewhat exaggerated," said Major D. F. Leckio,' a member of the contingent, who returned to Invercargill last night. " They were really service uniforms, and suffered in comparison with those of other troops so far as appearanco was concerned, but the Government must be given credit for sparing no expense, and doing its best in tho circumstances They were tailored as far as could possibly be clone in the time available, but it must be remembered that some of the men were in their forties and there were no territorial uniforms to fit them," said Major Leckie. "Wo had one distinctive feature. That was the peaked hat with red puggaree, and it covered a multitude of sins. Most people will agree, however, that tho Coronation contingent is a ' show ' one, and should have ' show ' uniforms, but it takes time to mako these, and it could not be done here, though it might have been done in London," he concluded.