CONTINGENT IN ENGLAND

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19373, 10 July 1937, Page 14

CONTINGENT IN ENGLAND

GUARD’S RIGOROUS DUTIES YOUNG MAN’S EXPERIENCE TRIALS OF ROUTE MARCH Impressions of the visit of the New Zealand Coronation Contingent to London by one of the younger members of the party are interestingly set out in a recent letter from Corporal R. H. Matthews to his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Chas. Matthews, “Alyth,” Mangapapa.

Corporal Matthews did not accompany the contingent on its return 10 New Zealand. He will return via Paris, Switzerland, Venice, and Rome and will board the Ormonde either at Naples or Toulon. He expects to be back in New Zealand about the end of September. On Guard at St. James’ Palace “The day before the Coronation we mounted guard at St. James’ Palace and Buckingham Palace,” he wrote. “The changing created great interest with the public. I had the post outside the levee entrance of St. James. One old lady came up to me from the crowd and.said: ‘Are you from Taranaki?’ I did not like being so hard, but it was part of my job not to move so much as a muscle of the face.

“Another old lady crept up behind me and dropped a paper-covered lollie in my hand .while I was standing at ease. I could not get the idea of the action, and it made things most aggravating to think I could not look down to see what the object was so I just dropped it rather than fail while on my beat. “I had no idea that a march of 13 miles at attention could be such a strain, and to hear the millions cheering us as we passed the different points of vantage simply made the blood tingle in our veins—no doubt about it; it was the excitement that carried us through. I don’t think my eyes shifted from that position of gazing on the back of the man’s head in front of me more than four times over the whole route. I almost counted every hair on his neck. Presentation of Medals “The next ceremony was the presentation of our medals by the King and other members of the Royal Family and this took place on the huge lawn in front of Buckingham Palace. There were present 1300 Colonial troops, including all our coloured troops, and again a great sight of different coloured uniforms was produced. The Duke of Kent presented me with my medal. The little Princesses looked very nice in their pink dresses as they walked through the troops. The Queen Mother is very stately, but her lips and general facial expression seem to be marked with sadness. Visit to Scotland “Later we entrained for Scotland, where we were the guests of the Lord Provost, who is the equivalent of the Lord Mayor of London. It was beyond all my imagination and the contingent had a marvellous time. Crowds of citizens lined the streets as we marched through. We went to the Theatre Royal that evening and on Sunday were taken in cars and buses up to the Highland trossachs and lochs. On the way we passed several spots of interest such' as the battlefields of Bannockburn, Sterling Bridge, and Sterling Castle.” Referring to the Royal Naval review, Corporal Matthews wrote that it was a sight that would live long in his memory. The contingent was on H.M.S. Leander for two nights. The hardest part was the standing at attention and at ease for three hours while the King reviewed the fleet in the Royal yacht Victoria and Albert.

Since the departure of the contingent for New Zealand Mr. Matthews has been in Ireland, and he intended to be in England again for the Aidershot Tattoo, Olympia, and Ascot week. After that he was to see the upper Continental ports, such as Rotterdam and Amsterdam, prior to gaining experience in the London office of the Blue Star Company.