WELCOME HOME

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 42, 26 January 1943, Page 4

WELCOME HOME

AWAKERI GATHERING

VETERAN'S HOME-COMING A very pleasant dance was held in the Awakeri Hall oi) January 19 as a welcome to Private Alan (Stock) Maedonald who has returned from service in the Middle East where he* served in the Grecian, Cretan ami Libyan campaigns. There was a very large crowd in attendance in spite of threatening weather and they all appeared to enjoy them,selves very much. The function was sponsored by the Awakeri Farewell Committee which besides fareweJlling all servicemen from the district has; set. itself the task of forwarding twice, annually st personal parcel to each man or woman who has gone overseas from this district. Now it has the still morg pleasant function of welcoming home its returning men, Private Maedonald being the first, of these to come home owing to incapacity. As a result of this event the fund for the purchase of parcels has-bene-fited; considerably. Mr Coll Maedonald, President o£ the. Farewell Committee, handled the dance in his usual able: manner while the Rhythm Aces were in their best form. The speaker for the evening was Mr Len Luke, who in a neat speech referred to the difficult conditions that our men had fought under in Greece and Crete. He regretted; that "Stock" had had little of the more pleasant task of hunting the enemy instead of being hunted. On behalf of the people of the district Mr Luke made a small presentation. Im reply 'Private Maedonald thanked the people, for the warmth: of their welcome. He referred to the parcels, which the men had received in the desert. They had arrived in excellent order and were greatly predated by the recipients. ' He said rio one could imagine the delight of those who' received; parcels containing tobacco in particular. He humorously drew attention to the fact that now he wras home things were going much better over there. "Stock" was given a hearty r<?un<l of applause' by the crowd at the close of his remarks.