THE FUNERAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXVII, Issue 23618, 30 March 1940, Page 13

THE FUNERAL

BASTION POINT GRAVE FINAL ARRANGEMENTS LONG ROUTE IN CITY PERIOD OP TWO HOURS All arrangements linvp now boon in ado for the State funeral to ho nooordotl to Mr. Savage in Auckland tomorrow afternoon. Iho personal popularity enioved hy the late Prime Ministor during his lifetime will lie pi von further oinpliasis to-morrow, when it is expected that the eight-mile route of tlic funeral procession lrom the Auckland railway station to the burial place at Bastion Point will he thronged by a gathering of citizens possibly greater than any yet seen in Auckland.

The funeral train is timed to roach Auckland at 2.15 p.m. to-morrow. The railway station will lie strictly controlled by the police and those admitted will he the Minister of Public Works, the Hon. It. Somplo, the Mayor. Sir Krnost Davis, Colonel X. W. MoD. Weir. Captain \V. K. Parry. WingCommandor H. Hurrcll. Bishop Liston, the Superintendent of Police, Mr. .T. Cummings, Captain J. G. C. Wales, with eight bearers, eight ushers from the Post and Telegraph Department and officers of the Department of Internal Affairs.

Departure from Station The route to be followed by the funeral procession is:—Railway station to Beach Itoad and Customs Street Kast. aiid thence up Queen Street to Karangahape Road; across Grafton Bridge to Park Itoad: thence through Carlton Gore Itoad and Davis Crescent to .Broadway, Newmarket; along Romitcra Road and Orakei Road and Kopa Road to the now road leading from the southern end of the Orakei housing settlement to Bastion Point.

On the arrival of the funeral train the casket, preceded by Bishop Listen, will be carried to the main entrance to the station, where it will be placed on a gun carriage, a military band meanwhile playing sacred music and an escort of 50 men from the throe armed services presenting arms. Tho procession will at first proceed slowly, at the rate of about two miles ail hour, until Queen Street is reached, and hero the gun carriage will halt for a few minutes. The procession will then move off and should leave the intersection of Queen Street and Karangahape Road at. 3 p.m., travelling at the rate of 10 miles an hour to reach Bastion Point by 4 p.in.

Lining the Route From the railway station to Grafton Bridge the route will be lined by 5000 men of the three armed services, and beyond Grafton Bridge members of e x -se r v ieem en' so rga nisa ti o ns. school cadets and Boy Scouts will take up positions along the route. At the end of the route, extending some distance from the. burial ground, some thousands of members of labour organisations will form a guard along both sides of the road.

When the gun carriage reaches the entrance to the burial ground a party of 100 representative Maoris from local tribes will perform the Powhiri ceremony, waving green twigs and retreating slowly toward the catafalque, upon which the casket will then be placed. The Final Stage

The burial service will then be performed by Bishop Liston. He will first bless the burial ground and will then read the appropriate service in both Latin and English. At the conclusion of this ceremony, occupying about 12 minutes, a choir of 15 priests, conducted by the Rev. Dr. F. K. Terry, will sing the Benedictus, while the casket is being conveyed to its resting place.

The Last Post will then be sounded and the military hand will lead the assembled throng in the singing of •'Abide With Mr?'

EIGHT BEARERS ESCORT FROM SERVICES NAVY, ARMY AND AIR FORCE ARRIVAL TIMES FIXED Arrangements were' made last night for the participation of tho fighting services in the funeral procession in Auckland and for lining the route. The escort will be made up of special detachments. each consisting of two officers and 50 other ranks from the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, the 21st Auckland Battalion. Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and the Royal New Zealand Air Force, together with the Papakura Camp Band. The escort will be commanded by Lieutenant-Commander H. G. A. Lewis, from H.M.S. Philomel. With territorials and cadets about 5000 will he parading.

There will be eight hoarors for the casket. The Royal Navy, Royal Marines. Royal New Zealand Artillery and Royal Xew Zealand Air Force will each provide two of the hearers. They will parade at the main entrance of the railway station at 1.45 p.m. and will he issued with mourning bands.

Two trains will bring the second echelon men from Papakura. One will arrive at the station at 12.45 p.m. a it] the second at 1 p.m. They will detrain, fall in on the roadway alongside tho limited express arrival platform, fix bayonets and form up in column of route. The troops will move ofr from their positions on the route of the funeral immediately after the procession of ears has passed, and trains taking them back 1o camp will leave at 4 p.m. and 4.15 p.m. The Royal Navy detachment and the Air Force detachment will arrive at Central Wharf at 1 p.m. and with the Army detachment included the escort will leave tho wharf at 1.25, arriving at the main entrance of tho station, headed by tho band, at 1.45.

VICE REGAL REPRESENTATIVE LOUD DOmiKK TO ATTEND The Governor-General. Viscount Galway, who will attend the obsequies of the late Mr. Savage in Wellington, will be represented at the ceremonies in Auckland by Captain Lord Dormer, A.D.C.