HOME AT LAST

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 7, Issue 49, 15 February 1944, Page 5

HOME AT LAST

MEN FROM OVERSEAS

-FURLOUGH BOYS WELCOMED

Friday was another red-let-ter day for many homes in Wha•katane and district, when family reunions and joyful » greetings were the order. The return -of some twenty local men who were lucky enough to hvve been included in the last furlough draft set the whole town •eager with anticipation and as the men arrived (many of them individually by car) they became the immediate centre of enthusiastic crowds of friends.

Friday night was, 'family night as far as the boys were concerned but the general public lias seen a little more of them over yesterday .and. the week-end when yarn-swop-, ping and reminiscences of. three -campaigns were the recognised procedure, "Even with my two feet in the Strand, I still: can't believe I'm really home," confided one sunburnt veteran to a Beacon representative and who added in a suppressed voice 'for Petes sake don't quote my nam*; In the 'buster.'" The general impression of all the men concerned was that they had had a remarkably good trip and were over-ioyed to be -home.

"You've no idea what'the excitement was 1 like on board when we saw the first sight of New Zealand rising above the •sea," said another man. Everybody cheered and started to rag each other. The trouble was that the time fdirly crawled' after that until we struck port."

Although arrangements had been made to meet the special train at Whakatane West, so many parents and relatives had anticipated the arrival of their own particular 'hero' that a bare handful stepped off the ■carriages. Nevertheless the 3jo\s JBand did its part manfully under the baton of Mr \Y T . Jarrett. So in spite of the. long wait of some thirty people, with the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs 8.. S. Barry) prominent, the scene as the train drew in was an animated one which must 'have done much to brighten the drab surroundings of the town's isolated station.

Tlie first to reach the train was a young woman who rushed to meet a khaki-clad figure leaning out of a window. Alter this the welcome became general as the men with broad smiles were received by their family groups.

CIVIC RECEPTION

FIXED. FOR SATURDAY WKKK

At the Borough Council meeting las't evening it was unanimously decided in view of the •gymkhana on Saturday next to postpone the civic reception to the latest men on furlough till ■Saturday, February 26th, when the usual procedure will be -observed, together with a parade of R.S.A. members down the .Strand*.

Further details will be advertised' later.