ACHILLES ON WAY TO N.Z.

Southland Times, Issue 24056, 21 February 1940, Page 8

ACHILLES ON WAY TO N.Z.

PROCEEDING DIRECT TO AUCKLAND ACCOUNT OF ACTIVITIES TO BE PUBLISHED (United Press Association) WELLINGTON, February 20. The Prime Minister (the Rt. Hon. M. J. Savage) announced today that H.M.S. Achilles is on her way back to New Zealand and will proceed direct to Auckland. Relations of members of the ship’s company who wish to be present when she arrives are advised to be in Auckland by Friday, February 23. The expected time of arrival will be announced later. , An official account of the ships activities will be published soon after her arrival. GATHERING TO HONOUR ACHILLES BIGGEST MILITARY PARADE FOR YEARS (United Press Association) AUCKLAND, February 20. The biggest military parade held in New Zealand for many years will take place in Auckland city when about 600 officers and men of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, the Royal New Zealand Air Force, territorials and secondary school cadets, will parade in honour of the ship’s company of the Achilles. The first greeting to the light cruiser, fresh from her victory off Montevideo, will be from the officers and non-com-missioned officers of the 3rd Echelon of the Expeditionary Force in camp at Narrow Neck, and from the territorials on duty at the forts. They will line the north shore cliffs and cheer the Achilles into the harbour. Units of the Navy, the Army and the Air Force will take part in the parade, marching to the Town Hall. More than 3000 secondary school cadets in the uniforms of their respective units and all Auckland territorial units will line both sides of Queen street from the central wharf to Myers street, leaving a lane through which the detachments and units of the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, the Expeditionary Force and the Royal New Zealand Air Force will march to form a gigantic guard of honour outside the Town Hall. MARCH UP QUEEN STREET A detachment from the Achilles will leave central wharf at 11 o’clock after the parade has passed and will march up Queen street between the ranks of territorials and cadets to the Town Hall. It will then form up, facing the platform to be erected outside the Town Hall, from which addresses will be given. The parade representing the Naval, Military and Air Forces, will be commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel N. L. Macky, M.C., Officer Commanding the 21st (Auckland) battalion, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The streets will be decorated and employers will be asked to grant special leave for their staffs between 10 and 2 p.m. Queen street will be closed to vehicular traffic for three hours during the march through the city to the Town Hall for the civic reception of the Achilles detachment. A total of about 1600 soldiers will come from Papakura to participate in the welcome, after which the captain, officers and the ship’s company will be entertained at a luncheon at the Town Hall.