A WARM RECEPTION

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 8, Issue 72, 15 May 1945, Page 5

A WARM RECEPTION

WELCOME HOME TO SERVICEMEN

RECORD CROWD PRESENT

The largest crowd that any ■ dance of the district has attracted for months attended) the Welcome Home dance held' on: Wednesday evening in the Winter -Show Buildings. Approximately 750 people were the packed floor bringing back memories of pre-war days when petrol rationing was unknown and was no object to the country folk. Coinciding as it did with V-E marking the unc conditional surrender in Europe, the dance came as a very wel•come opening for celebration and! the crowd 1 lost no time in ■/making the most of the opportunity. At 9.4.") p.m. a parade of returned men was held. Led by the Whakatane Pipe Band, the which consisted of some twenty men, •inarched into the taking up its position in front of the dais { where His Worship the Mayor, Mr 13. S. Barry, waited lo deliver the welcoming address. In liis opening remarks, Mr Barry said that once again it was his pleasure and his privilege to extend an official welcome home to men of this district who had returned after seeing service overseas. He was glad to see. representatives, of the three services, Navy, Army and Air Force in the parade, as it was to the men of these three services, those who had returned, and. those who were still over there, that we owed the great news received the day before. New Zealandcrs in the present war. he .said, have added lustre to the name the Anzacs made in the last. It was an honour to be able "to extend to them this Avelcomc, and on behalf of residents of this district he took pleasure in welcoming them 1 back to New Zealand, their hoifteland. | For the County Council, Mr H. C. McCready endorsed the remarks of His Worship, adding that the men had done a good job, and we at home were proud of them. He hoped it would not be long before all the men and women, fighting overseas in the uniform of the Dominion would be back home again. "This is- a great day in the history of the world, and it is fortunate that coinciding as it docs, with this dance, we have the opportunity of extending our thanks to these men for all they have, done/' said Mr G. Otley, speaking on behalf of the R.S.A. "New Zealand can take credit for supplying men to all of the services where they have proved their worth many times over." Referring to .some, of the leaders who have taken us successfully through this struggle, Mr Otley said: "Perhaps the greatest of all the men who have been at the helm during the past- five years, is that great leader the Right. Hon. Winstone Churchill (applause). An occasion such as this .should not be passed by without some tribute to this great man. Never was so much owed by so many to one man.'' His W'orship then read apologies from three servicemen for their unavoidable absence, and a telegram .from Mr W. Sullivan M.P. and Mrs; Sullivan extending to the men "a hearty welcome home. Staff Sgt R. RaAvson Squadron Leader H. Carter and Lieut. A. J Stewart replied on behalf of the men, each expressing gratitude for the manner in which they had been welcomed back to the district. Musi'Cal honours were then accorded the men. Continuing with the dancing, the Pipe Band played several enjoyable extras before the music was once 9 •again taken up by the Premier Orchestra, which supplied six instrumentalists for the occasion. MoTaffy Atkinson was responsible for the duties of M.C. and as usual, » ■» -carried them out to perfection. The Boys' Band, which returned from Waimana at 10 p.m. played for several dances while Miss N. West, 9 ;;and Mr Ted Hayden supplied extras. Supper was of a very high standard and was capably prepared and served by the W.W.S.A., Red Cross, Women's Returned Services, Women's Institute Caledonian Society 9 >1 and numerous voluntary helpers. 'Catering for such a large crowd was no easv task, and to thp organisations responsible credit must go #or the manner in which they performed it. Decorations consisted of greenery, •with the word 'Welcome Home across the wall above the orchestral dais in ?big red letters. Chjefly resnonsible

decorations was the A.T.C. with a number of other helpers'. The committee regrets that it was necessary ? through unavoidable circumstances to close a little earlier than usual but hopes to make up for this at a later date when the proposed Victory Ball is held. Among the returned men from tke latest drafts to arrive in New Zealand and who were present, at the dan?e were the following: Sgt. H. Armstrong L.A.C. S. Bennett Cpl. G. Fit. Lieut. E. J. Crang, Bm. C. j/ Fyfc Sgt. T. Hill, Sgt! D. E. Hogg Spr. A. Jeffares Sgt. B. Johnston Gnr. C. A. Norman, Sgt. A. R. Ra'w.son Sgt. F. Sy'kes Sgt. A. Tebbutt, Gnr. V. Cpl. I. G. Woolliams, PLe. A. H. Pte. W. A. Stark ? Squadron Leader H. Cpl. V. J. Gilliam, T** '*"*■ "VTI-t-O Pinl.-ay.- 17* //"I 'TV HmrV. n».