PROUD OFFICER

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22215, 7 March 1942, Page 4

PROUD OFFICER

Queen Mary’s Gift SILVER CIGARETTE CASE To have acted as guide to Queen Mary was the experience of Lieutenant A. Porter, of Palmerston North, now serving with a unit of the overseas forces in Great Britain. “The chief item of excitement ’n our ranks some time ago was a visit from Queen Mary, who lives not far away,” wrote Lieutenant Porter. “She decided to Inspect our mill, and it fell to me to guide the party from Badminton House. Queen Mary wished me to ride in her car to the mill. Badly scared, I did so, to the astonishment of the major when we arrived. "The inspection of the mill went off very well, and then we provided afternoon tea in the pjark adjoining our house. All this time I had been without the solace of a smoke, and was ‘fairly dying’ for a cigarette. So I asked the equerry, in an awed whisper, if it would be all right to light up. He told me there would be no trouble at all, and to offer one to the Queen while I was on the job. . “I had not a cigarette case, just a limp paper packet. So there was nothing to do but to hold out the old packet with a very sorry feeling. The cigarette was accepted, too, and after a while I climbed into the Queen’s huge car and went back in state. “I thought no more about the whole thing, except to wonder if I had behaved myself properly, until the next night, where there was a parcel on my plate at dinner time. I opened it, and found a most handsome silver cigarette case, with a card, “With best wishes. Mary R.’ It had the Queen Mother’s monogram and crown on it. I felt as proud is if I’d been awarded the V.C.”