SIGNAL HONOUR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24421, 5 October 1940, Page 19

SIGNAL HONOUR

NEW ZEALAND BAND CONCERT IN TRAFALGAR SQUARE (From the Official War Correspondent attached to the New Zealand Forces in Great Britain) ALDERSHOT, Aug. 26. The Band of the sth Infantry Brigade will add further to its laurels on Thursday evening next when, by request of the War Office, it will play for two hours in Tarfalgar square. London. Military music in Trafalgar square has been one of the war-time attractions of London this summer: but hitherto the privilege of playing there has been reserved exclusively for bands of the Guards Regiments. Therefore, the invitation to New Zealand players can be regarded as a signal honour. Our band's recent programme in the 8.8.C.'s Home Service won it many new admirers and friends, a typical comment being the hope expressed by one of the musical journals that the New Zealanders may have an opportunity of competing in a contest before their return home. The 8.8. C. programme was recorded and later broadcast to Canada on short wave. The Base Hospital A number of patients have been admitted to the First New Zealand General Hospital, our base hospital in England. Roughly three-quarters of them have been discharged; and this week convalescents among those remaining are being transferred to the newlyestablished convalescent depot, which occupies a fine Elizabethan manor house. Ten or a dozen United Kingdom soldiers have been through the hospital, which is as much a favourite with them as the New Zealand hospitals were with their fathers last war. The New Zealand peaked hat above a suit of hospital blue has become familiar on the roads and in the villages near the hospital, and is occasionally seen further afield. The Y.M.C.A. Friday bus trips, for instance, always include at least one bus from the hospital. As there has been no rush of patients, two of the nine wards of the hospital are used still as store-rooms, pending the completion of corrugated iron and brick huts, which will be ready shortly. Advantage continues to be taken, also, of the opportunity to send medical officers away for special instructional and refresher courses. In addition, all ranks—doctors, nurses and orderlies—are being given their seven days' leave as early as possible, so that if there should be a call presently for full hospital service the staff may be at strength and in full vigour. Football Prospects Rugby footballers in the Aldershot Command and further afield are already inquiring the probable match strength of the New Zealanders. The small anti-tank unit which trained here last winter, preparatory to joining the first echelon in Egypt, gave an exceptionally good account of itself at Rugby; this year, with a much larger New Zealand force in training, the critics are looking for something correspondingly better. There are at least four All Blacks in the echelon, and one New Zealand league representative, as well as enough provincial players to run a competition of their own. As all are fighting fit, there ought to be the makings of a fairly strong side; but it will

have to be good to come up to that of the first echelon. As yet the ground is far too hard for practice; but evening punt-abouts have been more or less a regular thing all the time we have been here, so as soon as the autumn rains come we may expect to see first-of-the-season games.