VICTORY PARADE

Press, Volume LXXXII, Issue 24905, 19 June 1946, Page 6

VICTORY PARADE

“A HUGE SUCCESS” CAPTAIN UPHAM RETURNS (P.A.) AUCKLAND, June 18. Captain C. H. Upham, V.C. tad arrived in Auckland by air from Sydney this afternoon, the first member of the New Zealand contingent to return from the yictory Parade on June “For one taking part in the parade, it was hard to get a general impression of it, but the whole thing was undoubtedly a huge success,” he said. “The people of London showered us with hospitality, and our greatest difficulty was in getting enough sleep. The New Zealander is particularly popular in England, and members of the contingent found themselves almost overwhelmed with invitattona to visit London homes.’’ The enthusiasm and excitement the parade created in London was immense, said Captain Upham. “We had to march about four and a half mil®, and our part in the parade took little more than two hours. It was pleasant marching, and not at all tiring. There was only one halt, when the troops caught up with a motorised column, and were stopped for 20 minutes. By midday we were back at Hyde Park, and it was all over.’’ After the big parade, the New Za* landers were given general leave, and issued with free rail warrants to any part of the United Kingdom. Th# were not slow in taking advantage of this opportunity to travel, and when Captain Upham left London Thursday members of the contingent were all over Britain, many in Scotland, and some in Ireland. The New Zealanders were having a fine time m England. Those who had been there during the war were revisiting friends they had made. “I met a lot of my old friends among Australian and English soldiers taking part in t& e parade,” said Captain Upham. Captain Upham will leave for his home in Canterbury by air to-morrow.