Crete Veterans Recall Historic Battle

Press, Volume C, Issue 29518, 20 May 1961, Page 12

Crete Veterans Recall Historic Battle

(Neio Zealana Press Association!

WHANGAREI, May 19. The Whangarei Town Hall was the focal point today for men, many accompanied by their wives, as they arrived to register for the New Zealand Crete Veterans’ Association national reunion, and to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the battle for Crete. It is expected that between 200 and 300 veterans will take part in the reunion. No official function was arranged during the day but sightseeing trips were arranged to take visitors around Whangarei and district this afternoon. This evening there was an informal gathering in the Town Hall during which the Mayor of W’hangarei (Mr F. Johnson) gave the visitors a welcome.

Tomorrow morning the association will hold its annual meeting, and in the

afternoon there is to be a ceremonial march to the Cenotaph. The senior officer on parade will be the association's vice-patron (MajorGeneral L. M. Inglis) who will take the salute. Before the parade is dismissed in front of the Whangarei Public Library, there will be ariother formal function during which representatives of Cretan people living in New Zealand will present to New Zealand an urn of soil taken from the historic battlefields of Crete.

Major-General Inglis will accept the gift on behalf of the people of New Zealand. On Sunday morning the Town Hall will be the venue of a short church parade. One of New Zealand’s mosi modern frigates H.M.N.Z.S. Otago, and the British submarine H.M.S. Anchorite berthed today at Port Whangarei. The ships will sail on Sunday and resume combined training exercises with the frigate H.M.N.Z.S. Pukaki. An Air Force detachment for a combined Services’ guard of honour and four Canberras from No, 14 (bomber) Squadron, based at Ohakea, will be the R.N.Z.A.F.’s contribution to the celebrations.