ANZACS ARRIVE

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 254, 30 December 1940, Page 3

ANZACS ARRIVE

NEW ZEALAND AIR TRAINEES

REACH CANADA NEWS P APE IT'S RACY ACCOUNT Recently we published an account, released by the Director of Publicity, of the arrival in Canada of New Zealand pilots and air gunners, who are to] j complete their training in Canada under the Empire Air Train ing Scheme. The following racy account of their arrival in Gal-g-ary was published by a news-t paper of that town and was retceived by an Ohope residents Several boys from the Whakatane district were in the contingent. What a snowball fight! Jammed into lorries like sardines, Australian and New Zealand fliers who arrived in Calgary Saturday night lambasted each other with all the snow they could get their hands on. Yelling like a bunch of Indians thev clcancd up all the snow in, on and around the lorries and then kept a crowd of civilians scooping up more ammunition from the sidewalks and handing it up to. them. I't Avas the first time that the majority of the newly-arrived airmen from the Antipodes had seen snow. For more than two hours before the train arrived the C.P.R. station was jammed with people to welcome, the new air men. Royal Canadian Air Force men from the No., 2 Wireless Training School forced a path through the crowd to allow the Australians and New Zealanders to march through. "So this is Canada! Gor it's cold! So this is what snow looks like! Do we have to put up with this all year," were comments as they were introduced to Calgary. Native Maoris. Two of the New ZealaiuleJrs a;re native Maoris. Iliey are the first Maoris to come to Canada to train for the air force. Joe Naera, 18, and Pine Takerangi 22, arc both of the North Island of New Zealand. They both speak perfect English. Both are training as air gunners and according to some of their companions they are among the finest in the force. Joe Naera graduated from high school about two months ago and immediately joined the "K.N.Z.A.F. He is an excellent rugger player. Pine Takerangi comes from a famous rugger family. His great uncle played with the world-famous All Black team in 15)11-12. Before joining the air force, Takerangi worked on his fathers faunand has now been with the R,N.Z.A.F. for about 10 months. Maoris are the aborigines of New Zealand and are considered to be the most intelligent native race in the world. Some Pilots. All of the New Zealanders are air gunners, while among the Austialians are wireless air gunners and pilots. The uniforms of the Australians are dark blue and their buttons are black, while the uniforms of the Ncav Zealanders are similar to those of the R.C.A.F. The crowd'at the station Avas not alloAved on the platform where the men were formed up in three groups tAvo groups of Australians and one of New Zealanders. They marched through the station and Avere loaded into lorrie.?.

Roars greeted the new arrivals continually. Chatting with them was a" bit of a problem, because some louncl it difficult to understand their accents. The Australians sang their national song, "Advance .Australia." and the New Zcalandcrs, not to be outdone, did seme singing and chanting on their own account. One- of the New Zea landers had been in Calgary 10 years ago. and had told some of the chaps about his visit. "If I enjoy it this time as much as I did when I was here .before, I'll have 110 complaints," he said. "Why don't you turn on the sun., this is supposed to be sunny Air berta, isn't it?" another man yelled. Bow and Arrow. A husky Australian carrying n bow and arrow, explained that it was not part of their fighting equip ment, but "I hope to get a big bull moose with it." Most of the men carried the widebrimmed khaki hats like those won.'

the lorries and landed on the sidewalk, A civilian picked it up and tossed it back. "It looks like we won't lie needing these in Canada/' one common ted. The men left Australia and New Zealand just as spring was coining. They have just finished one winter and now have to endure another. "Wo managed to get in about a month's surfboarding before we left, but it looks as if we'll have to do all of it here on skis," said one of the men. He pronounced "skis'" as "slices." Few of the men Avho arrived had been away from their home country before, thoroughly enjoyed the trip, and expected to have a very good time in Calgary. The new air force men were met at the station by a number of R.C. A.F. officers, including Wing Commander A. D. Ross, officcr commanding the No. 3 S.F.T. S. and Wing Commander A. H. K. Russell, officer commanding No, 2 WirelessTraining School. Calgary air force men gave the Aussie's.a welcomc they'll never forget. "Hello, Australia," they yelled, attempting to imitate the "down under" accent. As the grinning lads in dark blue marched through the station, R.C. A.F. men seized their hands, slapped their backs and bantered. "Gee, they're all L.A.C.'s too — they're making' more money than we arc," they exclaimed. "Hi, gorgeous, what's your telephone number?" a New Zealander shouted to a woman in the crowd. "We're ruined now. It's going to be some fun out there," groaned a Canadian wireless operator. The lads from under the Southern Cross had their mufflers wrapped tight around their necks and coat collars were turned up. Though few had seen snow before, it didn't take them long to find out Avhat to djo with it. Civilians pitched snowballs at the lads and got them back ijn exchange. Sunday, on Bth Ave. the boys were still skirmishing, and at the barracks, it was said, it just wasn't wise to poke your head out of the covers,, for the Aussies brought little piles of snow indoors.

En route to barracks frorti th'e station, they had a Avonderful time bouncing the vehicles carrying them And if the Calgary Stampede should ever need a cheering section, some Aussies could be hired. They had "Yippe" down pat.