LATE MR COATES

Otago Daily Times, Issue 25239, 31 May 1943, Page 2

LATE MR COATES

CORTEGE TO STATION THOUSANDS UNE STREETS (P.A.) WELLINGTON, May 30. Further testimony to the esteem in which Mr Coates was held and to the regret felt by all at his sudden death was given in Wellington this afternoon, when thousands lined the route of the funeral procession from Parliament Buildings to the railway station. Long before the cortege was due to leave Parliament Buildings the . mile-long route through the city was lined with men, women, and children, and everywhere there were representatives of the services who were on deave in the city. At 3 o’clock the casket, draped with the New Zealand Ensign and a Maori mat, was borne by warrant officers and n.c.o.’s of the services down the steps of Parliament Buildings to the waiting gun carriage. The casket flanked by Ministerial and parliamentary pall-bearers, headed on one side by the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and on the other by Mr Hamilton. Mr Tirikatene, the new member of the Executive Council, wore over his formal garb, a Maori mat. A Representative Tribute Drawn up in the grounds were detachments of the three services, with them being the band from Trentham Camp, which, with two mounted police, headed the procession. Behind the military detachments came the gun carriage flanked by the pall-bearers, and followed by senior officers of the three services and lorries laden with wreaths. Then came Major C. J. Holland - Martin, represerfting the Governor-General, representatives of Mr Coates’s family, representatives of the United Nations, the Speakers of both Houses, the Chief Justice (Sir Michael Myers) and judges, the Mayor of Wellington (Mr T. C. A. Hislop), members of both Houses, returned soldiers, representatives of political parties, industrial organisations, religious denominations. State departments, the magistracy, local authorities, public bodies, the National Patriotic Fund Board, and other organisations. The Native race was represented by a large party of Maori men and women, most of whom were draped in Maori mats. The procession, which took 10 minutes to file out of Parliament grounds, passed through the streets at a slow march until the casket arrived opposite the v Defence Headquarters, where a military guard was drawn up. Here the cortege halted for about a minute while the guard presented arms. The procession then moved on to the station, where the casket was taken from the gun carriage to be carried to the special train which left for Auckland at 4 o’clock as the service detachments gave the 'final salute. From just after mid-day on Saturday until the start of the funeral procession the casket was guarded in the main lobby of Parliament Buildings, and during daylight and last evening there was a fairly constant stream of citizens who filed past the catafalque to pay their last respects. Scores of beautiful wreaths, many sent by persons overseas, were received and placed around the casket until shortly before the procession through the city began, when they were removed to military lorries, four of which were required to carry them behind the gun carriage 1 through the streets. The wreaths included one from the Governor-General and Lady Newall, the Government of the United Kingdom, the Government and people of Australia, the Government of Canada, the commander of the South Pacific (Admiral Halsey), and “Wellington residents of the Auckland Regiment, in memory of a gallant soldier.” Service in Cathedral The Cathedral Church of St. Paul was filled yesterday morning tor the requiem service conducted by the Primate of New Zealand, Archbishop West-Watson, of Christchurch. The service lasted for almost an hour, and throughout, though simple in character, was deeply impressive. The note struck was one of regret at the sudden death of one of New Zealand's finest sons, but with this was an expression of gratitude for a life which had given so much in the service of his country. Behind the officiating clergy came the casket borne on the shoulders of nine warrant officers and n.c.o.’s of the military forces. They were followed by Mrs Coates and her five daughters, Mr Rodney Coates, brother of Mr Coates, and Miss Montague. On one side of the casket were his Excellency the Governor-General and Lady Newall, who were accompanied by Major C. J. Holland-Martin, A.D.C. To their left on the other side were the Prime Minister and Mrs Fraser, and behind them were members of both Houses of the Legislature. The attendance, which filled the body of the church, was fully representative of every section of the nation’s life. ’ Before the address by his Grace the Archbishop, the congregation sang the hymn “There is a Land of Pure Delight,” and after the address they sang the hymn “Jesus Lives, no Longer Now Can Thy Terrors, Death, Appal Us.” The National Anthem was sung, and after the blessing had been pronounced by the Archbishop, the organist -played Chopin’s “Funeral March.” For fully five minutes the congregation'stood in silence with heads bbwed while the strains of this beautiful march filled the church. After the service the casket was transferred to Parliament Buildings for the lying in State. Many more tributes' have been received by the Prime Minister, including several characteristic messages from leaders of the Maori people. Other messages have been received from Bishop Liston, the Consuls for Switzerland, Czechoslovakia, Brazil, Greece, Sweden, and Uruguay, and from representative organisations in all parts of the Dominion.