WELCOME HOME

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 23, 13 November 1945, Page 5

WELCOME HOME

COMPLIMENTARY CIVIC EVENING

MEN FROM OVERSEAS

POPULAR SOCIAL FUNCTION

Some four hundred attended the official 'Welcome Home' extender! the men from overseas in the Caledonian Hall last Saturday evening. The gathering was a further effort upon the part of the Borough Patriotic Committee to extend a civic greeting to those who had rer turned from the fighting theatres in the most recent drafts. Its success was borne out by the splendid social atmosphere and the complete absence of any stiffness and formality which the average serviceman has. grown to abhor.

Tables extending the full length of the hall were well packed with residents from town and district and a pleasing feature was the number of men from this district who had returned earlier and settled in ♦'civvy street' and were back in their oldtime jobs. These chaps extended a warm and hearty wclcomc to those of later drafts and many a yarn was swopped regarding mutual adventures in Maadi ? in Greece, Crete. Libya and in Italy. The whole gathering was tempered with good fellowship which 1 smacked of that indefinable brotberhood-in-arrns which hfls ever characterised the Kiwi

Division overseas. The official group comprising His Worship the Mayor, Mr B. S. Barry who chaired the gathering, Mr W. Sullivan, M.P. ? Mr Les Brown (Returned Services' Association) and Col. C. A. Le Lievre and others was seated at the head of tlic hall at a table running parallel to the stage. Proceedingse opened with the 'Loyal Toast' on the call of the Mayor. This was followed by the 'Silent Toast' which furnished the only serious note of the evening, and as glasses were raised to the memory of those who had passed it was obvious that every "Digger' present from both Avars was calling to mind those comrades who would not

be coming home

In welcoming the immediate guests of the gathering, His Worship said that with peace now declared there, was every prospect of all the local men being home before long. The thoughts of all jjrescnt in extending a Avelcome to each and every man who had served were centred upon f the glorious manner in which they had upheld the glowing traditions of New Zealand's mili-

tary prowess

Mr J. L. Burnett for the residents of the County said that one and all rejoiced in seeing them home again. The war had been fought for the realisation of great ideals and it was now for us to settle down and to carry them out in the days of settled peace. He extended a cordial welcome to those men of recent returning drafts.

The evening took the form of a supper with an abundance of refreshments to say nothing of the traditional Whakatane 'sucking pig' which cooked to a turn ? was carried in at an appropriate juncture and greeted with" cheers. Full justice was, done tt> the spread and over the repast all present indulged in happy reminiscences of incidents and anecdotes relating to army life and the various scenes of the Kiwis exploits. Not a few men were from the Pacific battle /one when the Jap threat was a realistic source of speculation and alarm and these j veterans vied with their comrades from the Middle East in the relation of yarns and deeds. There were probably more local businessmen present than on any previous occasion—a tribute to the intensified work of the committee, and the recognition of the town generally of the importance of the occasion and. the desire, to do honour to our fighting men.

Items presented by local artists reached a high standard of entertainment which never failed to draw the warm applause they warranted. A happy interlude of community singing was taken over by Mr Aubrey O'Rourke. The toast list was as under: 'Second N.Z.E.F.' Messrs Le's Brown and Col. C. A. Le Lievre; 'The| Merchant Navy' Messrs R. F. Smith, and W. R. Boon; 'The Ladies' Messrs'

J. W. Wilson and I. Gow; 'The Fighting Services and Nursing Sisters' Messrs AV. Sullivan and Flying Officer W. Henderson; 'The Maori Battalion' Messrs H. G. Warren and D. O. Stewart; 'The Returned Services Association' Messrs B. S. Barry and G. Otley; 'The Committee' Messrs R. F. Smith and W. Henderson. Items given during the evening were as follows: Pianoforte solos and elocution Mr Horrie Waite; Elocution Mr Tony Smith; Piano accordeon solos Mr C. Reid; Vocal solos 5 y Mr Don Stewart;, Saxophone solos, Mr Stewart Pyne; Symphony in s Chalk Mr H. Haeusler.