VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY IN DUNEDIN

Chronicle (Levin), 21 July 1947, Page 7

VISCOUNT MONTGOMERY IN DUNEDIN

-Press. Association

' By Telegraph

DUNEDIN, July 20. " Dunedin gave Viscount Montgomery a tumuituous welcome on-.his arrival by car from Invercargill today. Two koura before his ; estimated time of arrival a small . knot. 6f" people had gathered round the hotel'and when the Field Majshal arrived, ' there was' a large crowd. The 'pplice c.ordon could aQt .hold the crowd. back' vvhen the car, .flying. the Field MarshaFs penhanf, was sightefl and within seconds there was a solid .mass surrounding the car. Viscount Montgomery was less' than rejuctant to alford /the crowd some reward for itS wait in the .ehill of the late afternoon and after the police had cleared a passage to the entrance of the , hote) he entered and reappeared a min'ute or two later on the fire. escape. Tkel'e was snow on the road for most of the journey from Invercargill to Gore but the tracks left by previous vehicles were made use of and chains were unnecessary for the official con voy. All along the way people were waiting to see the Field Marshal drive past and he was meticulous in responding to their cheers. . At Mataura the convoy had to stop because of .tlie number of people bloclc ing the road and the Field Marshal spent a few minutes chatting to the resicjents. At /Balclutha an elderly man thrust a parcel out to Lord Montgomery as the car ,moved slowly past and when it was opened later it was found to contain a highly polished beechwood walking stick beautifully carved in spiral pattern. * For the last 40 miles into Dunedin there were. people almost all the way, fo]k of the farming communities who had driyen- to the nearest crossroads to see, the Field Marshal drive -past. From Fairfield, six miles through the suburbs into the city, there was a continuous line of people and a ripple of cheering foliowed the convey.