MILLION'S CHEER FIGHTING MEN

Chronicle (Levin), 10 June 1946, Page 5

MILLION'S CHEER FIGHTING MEN

Press Asen.

KING TAKES SALUTE IN RAIN

By Telegraph

-Copyright

Keceived Suiiday, 7.0 p.m. LONDON, .Time S. T'he s1 l'eam of mon, women and weapons which flowod down The a/S 1 past Ihe King; today was a mighty demonsti'ation oi: Knipiro^solidarily. Separale cohirjuns oi' marching men and unbroken lines oi' vehieles, came together bel'ore it reached The Mall where representatives oi almost every race and colour and the prodiicts of every land of inventiveness ihat had helped to win ihe war, gathered for the Parade 's most magnitieent moment before ihe saluting base. The crowd was densely packed sinee early morning along the route. Tliey were representative of all London and expressive of all London \s moods. The atmosphere oi' the gay crowd was oue of nnshakoably good humoui'. It was a family at an intimate J'estival, welcoming many foroign guests not primarily eoneei'iied wilh its own family — ihe Empire which perhaps is closerjo its heart tinui ever before. All througli the night erowds eelebrated in front of Buekinghnm Palaee, singing, elieering and swinging rattles. A Jiuge stream of people reinl'orced tbem from six o'clock onward-? nntil i1 seemed there was no room for more but thouxfmds still. poured m 11 was the same story from every popular gathering piace where onlookers before dawn joincd those who had waite-1 all night. Their Majesties and Ihe Prineesses reeeived a tremendous ovation when tliey left Buekinghnm Palace at 10.10 a.m. in an opou landau wilh a e.aptains' eseort from the Ilousehold Cavalrv flying Ihe Poyal Slandard. The reception was repeated from liiassed subjeets along Ihe route 1o the saluting base. AI r. Altlee and Mr. Churchill were 110 less warmly tvelcomed as 1hey drovo in a Royal cari'iage behind the Poyal landau. Then two more earriages followed, in the seeond oue of whieli were 31 r. 3Inekenzie King, General Smuts, 3Ir. Xash and Jlr. Beaslev. The Iving- wero the serviee uniform of an Admiral of the Fleet. Oue of Ihe day's big-gest cheers was when 'Queen Alary arrived at Ihe saluting- base and shook hands with members of Ihe Cabinet. The Poyal Slandard which Ihe King raised on ihe beaches of Xormandy wlum he visited Field-Marshal Montgomery ten days al'ter I) l)ay, was h.oisted in plaee of Ihe Union Jack. It was slightly toru in France and today it was in the same eondition as when brought back to Britain. Watchers saw the greatest procession of mechanised fighting vehieles ever gathered. consisting of more tlian 500 gleaming and freshlv ]iainted vehieles manned by spiek and span personnel.

.More tlmn 40 Brilish, Atnoncan tuni Allied loaders, ineluding Field Marslial Lmd Alaubrooke, Field Alarshal Sir Bernard Moutgoniei v, Air Chiel' Marslial Sir I'harles l'ortal, Air t'hicf Alarslial Sir Arlliur Tedder, Field -Marslial Sir Jlarold Alexander (who arrived from ("anada last night l>y air), Lonl Louis Moun! bat ten, Fiebl Marshal Sir Jlenrv Mai) land Wilson, and General Sir .Miies l)eni[)sey, rode at llie.head oi' ihe cidumn. The biggesl cheers wero undoubtedly for Field .Marshal -M ontgoiiierv who rode alone in a j*ep wearing his i'anious berel. Fxcitenient reachei] a crescendo as Ihe mechanised coluinu swept inlo The .Mall and roared )»ast the saluting' base. All commauders stood uj> in their cars saluting as they passed the Royal stand. The senior oflicer or non-eom-missioned oflicer in etich vehicle saluted the King with the remainder of the crew at attention and with heads and eyes timimi to the left. The prueession included trans])ort of the former (Jivilian Serviees — police, lire biigades, civil defence, members of Ihe Land Arniv on I'ann transport, and l.ondon Inises. Then caine a colossal parade of armv lighting antl serviee vehieles. The inarching column reeeived even a greater reception as, to the tunes of many bamls, tliey niarehed in perfeet preeision 1 li abreast down The .Mall pasl the saluting base. The (Uuirds Land led followed by American, Fhinese and Frem-h troops and 15 other Allied jiations in alphabetieal order — :iil the World War Ailies exeept Kussia, I'ohtml and Yugoslavia. Tlie next seetion contained Doininion troops, C'anada, Anstrtilia, Kew- Zealand, South Afriea, ithodesia and Xewfoitndland in that order. Tliey were given a tremendous reeejition as were the Indians who followed tliem. Xext coine contingents from the eolonies throughout the world, oi' which the. West Ai'rieans in turbans aml shorts attraeted most attention. Kvei. the smallest eolonies sueli as Seye helle.s and Saint lielena were represent ed.

A seeond eontingent of eivilians sueli as railwaymen, bus eondiietresses, repre«enta1 ives of every braneh ol: industry followed. Naval forees and contingents l'roni every 1LA.F. Comnnuid and groups of Waal's with their own band, preeeded the long line of British Armv eontingenls headed by the llousehoid ("avalrv and Lifeguards, and followed by the Armoured Forps, Koyal Kngineers, Koyal Signals, Jhiglish, Seottish, Irish and Welsh infantry regiments, glider jiilots and paraehutists. All other armv serviees were represented ineluding the liome (lnards, Xursing Serviee and A.T.S. wilh their own band, whieli brought up Ihe rear of the Armv eontingent. KING UNDETERRED BY RAIN Rain began to lall a few minutes before noon while the procession was still passing the saluting base. It soon increased in intensity but the King, standing uiisheltered on the dais, took no notice as he ntinued saluting the marching troops. The rain did not cause the marchers to lose any of their magnilicent preeision and did not dampen the spectators* spirits but by 1 p.m., although the fly past had still to come, many spectators were swiftly moving away seeking shelter and food. The rain, which stopped after half an hour, began again before the fly past started. .Machines headed by a Battle of Britain Hurricanc, flew at a height of ;)0d to (500 feet. Millions of people who were perched on rain swept rooftops, stood in soaked streets, or leaned ont oi windows, saw a inagnificent spectacle

which the R.A.F. Fleet Air Arm earried ont despile the unftivourable eonditions. The leading lhirrieiiiie was tlown by an unkiiown Battle of Britain pilot who waggled its wings as he passed over the, saluting base. Then in perfeet forniation eaiue 007 other planes ineluding till tyjies which beciiiiie familiar during the war. The King and Queen reuiained to wateh tlie fly past and altogether stood 10S minutes. Then tliey enlered a waitiag motor ear, tlie hooil of which was lowered despile the rain 011 tlie King's order, so ihe people eould see their Majesties and the Prineesses as tliey returned to the Palaee. Some of the best views of tlie parade were obtained by (housands of jieople miles away l'rom the great erowds — those tising television sets. All the highlights of tlie seenes in The ALall were televised. The fervour of Britain 's desire to celebrate victory v/as not quelled by one of the cruellest days that has ever greeted a nation 's rejoicings. From midday rain streamed down pitilessly but failed to quell the populace's exuberance. There was half an inch of rain in the metropolis to 5 p.m. Shop doorways, arcades and subways were packed with people sheltering from the rain but the jubilation persisted. The strain was too great for many women spectators. Three thousand ambulance men along the Victory route g&ve first aid to 4127 persons, 65 of whom were sent to hospital. Fifteen thousand police were on duty, ineluding Metropolitan, Military and R.A.F.