TROOPS FAREWELLED

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 189, 13 August 1940, Page 4

TROOPS FAREWELLED

WANGANUI MEN OF THIRD ECHELON LARGE CROWDS ATTEND. Large crowds farewelled the Wanganui men of the Third Echelon of tne Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force yesterday when tney entrained for Trentham at the end of their special leave. On the Wanganui station there were about 400 people and the soldiers were given a rousing reception, the singing of “Auld Lang Syne’’ to music by the Wanganui Highland Pipe Band being the only formal item. There was none of the lining up and numbering off of previous farewells. At the Aramoho station the scenes were the same. Maori farewells were the most emotional and although there were few Maori troops, Maoris made up a fair part of the crowd. No official speeches were provided and a soldier sught to remedy this at the Aramoho station by clambering to I the top of the carriage and giving an I oration which was drowned in the laughter of the crowd. The same soldier climbed to the station roof and later had to be helped down by his comrades. There was another crowd, although much smaller, on the Wanganui station when the mail train left at mid-day and the soldiers were surrounded by their groups of friends and relatives. There was another crowd down at the station in the afternoon to fareI well the men going north on their rei turn to camp. _