HERO OF ALAMEIN ENTHUSIASTICALLY WELCOMED

Chronicle (Levin), 17 July 1947, Page 4

HERO OF ALAMEIN ENTHUSIASTICALLY WELCOMED

His sun-tanned, weather-beaten face creased in smiles, Field Marshal Viscount Montgomery of Alamein, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, on the occasion of his first visit to New Zealand, stepped from his Avro York aircraft on to the tarmac of the main runway at Ohakea at 2.34 p.m. yesterday. He left Brisbane at 8.4 a.m. (N.Z. time), the fliglit, which was completely uneventful, occupying six and a half hours.

The weather, which so often proved a valuable ally to Lord Montgomery in battle, again fav--oured him yesterday and there was no suggestion of mid- winter in the warm and sunny,- almost springlike eonditions Which gre'eted the distinguished visitor.'® Although showing some signs of fatigue after his strenuous Aus-. tralian tour, Lord Montgomery appeared fit and well and he talked and laughed freely with the Government and Service representatives -who met him on the tarmac. There was no publie reception for the Field Marshal, the Air Force station having been closed to 'the general public for the occasion. Station eontrol first esta'Olished radio telegraph eontaet with the Avro Yorli when it was 120 miles west of New Zea land at 2.2 p.m. It approached the eoast ' at 2.25 p.m. and just a f-ew minutes later the silver wings of the giant aircraft glittering in the bright sunshine could be seen from the aerodrome. As he stepped from the aircraft, Lorcl Montgomery was met by Wing Commander D. W. Baird, A.F.C., Officer Commanding the station. He was then welcomed by the Minister of Defence, Hon. F. Jones, on behalf of the Prime Minister, Major the Hon. Neville Wigram, representing the Grovernor-General, , Mr. N. E. Costar, the Aeting-High Commissiouer for the United Kingdom in New Zealand, Major-G-eneral N. W. McD. Weir, Chief of the New Zealand General Staff, Captain J. H. Hewitt, Acting-Chief of the Naval Staff, and Air Viee-Marshal A. de T. Nevill, Chief of the New Zealand Air Staff. A guard of honour eomprising Air Force personnel was drawn up in front ■ of the main hangar. As the Field Marshal approached the general salute was given. Lord Montgomery sh'uok hands with the officer commanding the guard and carried out an inspection of the guard and the station band. As he moved across to mierophones of the National Broadcasting Service, Lord Montgomery looked up and saw a crowd of station personnel, most of whom were armed with eameras, watching his movements from a baleony on the hangar. He gave them a friendly hand wave as he passed. ■ In front of the mierophones Mr J'ones o behalf of the Prime Minister, briefiy welcomed Lord Montgomery to New Zealand. "I am extremely glad to be here," said Lord Montgomery in, an equally brief address. "It gave me great pleasure less than half an hour ago to arrive over your coast, and I am looking forward to s-eeing your country in greater detail. ' ' The visitor was then introduced to various Government officials, including the Under-Secretary of the Departmenv of Internal Affairs, Mr. J. W. Heenan, the Commissioner of Police, Mr. J. D Cummings, Police Inspector Dempsey, of Wellington, Police Inspector H. J. Joyce and Senior Beteetive O. Power, of Palmerston- North.At this stage a large number of photographers who previously had been debarred froin approaching the official party from beyond a certain distarice, converged on Lord* Montgomery who smilingly posed for them. "Are all these men pliotographers? ' ' he smilingly asked of the Minister of Defenee. "You '11 probably see a lot more the next 'place you' go to, ; ' replied the -Mjn ister. " Yes, I;m going to Japan next," said Lord Montgomery. After exchanging a few words with the ehauffeur, Lord Montgomery entered the Vice-Regal car and was driven to the officers' mess where he had after noon tea with the official welcoming party before proeeeding to Yv'ellington by car. The erew of the Avro York comprised the following: — Pilot, Squadron Leader J. F. Sach, D.F.C., A.F.C.; co-pilot, Flight Lt. M. L'. Croquer, D.P.C. ; navi•gator, Flt. Lt. D. W. Griffitlis; wireless operator, Flt. Lt. M. G. Gardiner, D.F.M.; enginoer, Flt. Lt. C. Sanderson; aide to Lord Montgomery, Sergeant Ledbrook. Arrival of Mosquitoes. Some 20 minutes before the arrival of ithe Avro York.at Ohakea two Mosqui j toes being flown from England for the ,75th Squadron touched down on the tarmac. Under the command of Squadron Leader Baigent, the Mosquitoes had left Bankstown, Sydney, at 9.30 a.m. New Zealand tiine. Out across Ihe Tasman Sea they pas§ed the Avro York which had left Brisbane at 8.4 a.m. The station control at Ohakea established contact with the Mosquitoes and the Avro Yorlc almost simultapeously.