COMRADES IN ARMS

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXII, Issue 18759, 16 July 1935, Page 4

COMRADES IN ARMS

EX-SOLDIERS’ GATHERING

EXPRESSION OF LOYALTY 0 OVERNOR-G ENER AL’ S INTEREST Ex-service men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, the South African Contingents, and of various Home and Dominion forces, assembled to the number of about 350 this morning at the King’s Theatre to extend a loyal and enthusiastic welcome to their former comrade-in-arms, the Governor-General of "New Zealand. Lord Galway appeared to be much impressed with the strength of the gathering, and the proceedings continued throughout on a note of enthusiasm, His Excellency’s appearance, being greeted with a storm of cheering, repeated at the conclusion of the welcome as lie retired. Received in the flag-draped vestibule 'of the theatre by Colonel R. F. Gambrill and Majors G. C. Crawshaw and A, "S. ‘ Muir; the Governor-General entered the auditorium under a reproduction of the arms of the Life Guards Regiment in which Jie saw his war service, and with which his name has’since been , closely, linked. ■ Accompanied by the Mayor, Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P.. Mr. Charles Matthews, chairman of the Cook County Council, Sir Standish O’Grady Roche, aide-de-camp, and Mr. W. M. Jenkins, town clerk, His Excellency reached the stage as the strains of the National Anthem were raised, and the large gathering of veterans stood to attention. The anthem having been played, Colonel Gambrill, as president of the Gisborne Returned Soldiers’ Association, tendered the loyalty of ex-service men to the King and to his representative in New Zealand as follows: FELLOW EX-SERVICEMAN “I have the honor as president of the Gisborne branch of the N.Z. R.S.A. to tender to you as His Majesty’s representative in New Zealand, our expressions of continued loyalty and devotion to His Most Gracious Majesty in this the Jubilee year of his reign. “On tire occasion of this your first visit to Gisborne, it affords us great pleasure to welcome you and Lady Galway to our district, and to express the hope that, you will again find opportunity to visit us during your term of office. “Altogether apart from your high office, we have pride and pleasure in welcoming you among us as a fellow exserviceman and as a representative of our comrades in Great Britain, “This meeting is representative of veterans of the South African War, as well as ol' the veterans of the Great War, and we give them pride of place as service veterans in this welcome. “We deeply appreciate Your Excellency’s action in making this meeting possible, and esteem it an honor that you saw fit to set aside the time for this special meeting with representative ex-servicemen of this district. All branches of the service are represented here to-day, and while it is regretted that the time of day and economic circumstances prevent a larger attendance I can assure you that the balance of 1200 members of our .association in this district join with us in the warmth of this welcome; “I would like to state that while the majority of our members are ex-mem-bers of the N.Z.E.F., nevertheless we have among us many members wlio served in units of the Homeland and ot other Dominions, and that it has and always will be the aim of our association to do for our comrades from overseas, who now reside among us all that, it is possible to do and upon the same footing as if their service had been with the N.Z.E.F. “In conclusion we would join in wisning you, Lady Galway and your family a pleasant and happy sojourn among us.“ Warm applause followed the speech of the president, and Major Crawshaw, who occupies a corresponding post in the South African \ T eterans’ Association, also took an opportunity to voice the sentiments of his comrades. “ONE OF THEMSELVES" No section of the public of New Zealand was more sincere in their loyalty, and in the warmth of their welcome to His Excellency, said Major Crawshaw, than the men who had served in the South African campaign of 35 years ago. They regarded His Excellency as one of themselves, ana their pleasure in welcoming him to Gisborne was therefore especially keen. No section of the community held more closely the ideal of loyally to His Majesty than did those who had* served in his forces in South Africa, he repeated. “We are delighted that you have timed your visit to Gisborne to coincide with one of our typical fine days,” continued Major Crawshaw, amidst laughter, “and we hope that your recollections of the visit will be those of unj alloyed pleasure." (Applause.) INTERESTS OF EX-SERVICEMEN “It gives me very great come among you, and to see . suelf-ra splendid gatheiing of ex-service men here to-day," remarked tlie GovernorGeneral, when the applause which broke out once again on his rising to speak, had died down. “I wish you all the best of good luck and good fortune. I need not say how deeply I have at heart the interests of those associations which are helping to nurture the interests of ex-service men. It would be impossible for anyone to serve as long in the Army as I have not to have deeply ingrained in him the fellowship of common interest which we, might call the brotherhood of arms. I mean to do everything ■possible to encourage those societies and associations which are looking after the interests of the returned soldiers in New Zealand. TOUR OF BATTLEFIELDS “It may interest you to know that just : prior to my departure for this country I undertook a short tour of the battlefields of France where men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force had especially distinguished themselves. It. was a most interesting experience to me, to look upon the battlefields of 19 or 20 years ago, and to see how they had changed in the intervening years. They looked like ordinary agricultural country, cultivated in the same way as in 1914, prior to the outbreak of the war. The villages even looked just the same, with the exception that most of the houses are new, and that there are few trees. _ “Such places as High Wood, which you may remember as an abomination of desolation during the years of the war, is now almost a wood again. The young tpees and undergrowth are creeping up, and there is now none of that terrible spectacle of the old days. There is a curious difference between the appearance of the country now and at the time you knew it. Places which at that time looked formidable and remote are now very much changed. The battlefields have lost their old shell-stricken look,

but it was interesting to me to try and reconstruct some of the scenes of wartime years. CEMETERIES WELL LOOKED AFTER “I have not seen the Gallipoli Peninsula. as time did not permit. I was not in that campaign at any time, Inn I hope Thai 1 may have an opportunity of seeing those battlefields where New Zealand took part in a great adventure. Nevertheless, what 1 saw in my short lour of the battlefields of France and Belgium was full of interest, ami I was particularly pleased' to notice, that the war memorials and the cemeteries are being- well looked after and that the names of New Zealanders who fell there arc commemorated for all time. “I want, to thank you sincerely for the cordial welcome you have accorded us in Gisborne.” concluded llis Excellency. “Cur experiences during the first three months of our sofouru in New Zealand have been delightful, and we have really begun to enjoy life. We are sure, indeed, that we are going to have a most enjoyable and happy time among you people of New Zealand.” VISIT TO WAIROA ARRANGEMENTS FINALISED (Herat J Correspondent.) Ail the arrangements in connection with the visit of Their Excellencies Lord and Lady Galway to Wairoa on Wed liexday have been completed. 11. lias been arranged that the Viceregal party will be met at the top of Te Uhi Mill, where a Boy Scout on duty will immediately signal by Hag to another on duty at tiie post office. The lire brigade siren will then be sounded as a warning to motorists and others te’ observe the traffic and parking regulations already announced. The party then proceeds via Carroll street and the Wairoa bridge, and enters Coronation Square by the Marine parade entrance. Their Excellencies will then be extended a civic welcome at the dais in front of the Borough Council chambers. After the presentation of the address ol welcome, and the reply, the members of the local bodies and their wives will be presented to Their Excellencies. At the conclusion of the reception the Vice-Regal party will proceed to the Wairoa Hotel, where Their Excellencies will have lunch .with the Mayor, Mr. H. L. Harker, and Mrs. IJarker, the Wairoa County chairman, Mr. A. G. Nolan, and Mrs. Nolan, with Mr. and Mrs. A T. Carroll, as representing the native race. The Governor-General is to be asked if he will plant di tree in the avenue at. Whakamahta beach to commemorate the King’s Jubilee. If His Excellency agrees to do this the party will proceed from the hotel via Marine parade, Raul street and Lahore street to the beach, and after the ceremony back to town via Lahore street and on to Napiet. Given fine weather there will be a large attendance of the public, including over 700 school children, Girl Guides. Brownies, Boy Scouts and returned men.