AIRMEN AS HOSTS

Evening Post, Volume CXXVIII, Issue 24, 28 July 1939, Page 14

AIRMEN AS HOSTS

TERRITORIAL SQUADRON'S BALL

ALL SERVICES REPRESENTED

The sole hitch in the entire proceedings at the ball given last night by the Royal New Zealand Air Force, Territorial Squadron, was when the silken parachute filled with dozens of coloured balloons was lowered too far over the ballroom of St. Francis Hall and was pulled by too eager hands to the floor. Efficient work on the part of several airmen saved £50 worth, of 'chute from damage, much to the relief of the many guests who had witnessed the incident.

Both the band and the bunting were produced for the occasion, and these two factors, plus red carpets, greenery, and the brilliant uniforms of the various services represented, combined to make one of the most spectacular events of the season. Though not outstanding in themselves the Air Force uniforms (which far outnumbered "civvies" or undress uniform) were impressive in their quiet dignity. The official party, in which many civil as well as military dignitaries were included, presented a particularly varied appearance; medals, spurs, and white shirt fronts adding to the already very colourful scene. TOUCH OF HUMOUR. The officers'did not escape caricature. Between the red, white, and blue cockades, which were set like immense bulls-eyes on*the walls, cleverly-drawn exaggerated versions of incidents in the "flying lives" of various members of the Force were portrayed—with appropriate printed witticisms. Consequent- j ly, the officers who encountered high tension wires, another who became un- j expectedly acquainted with a cow in a Taranaki paddock, and a third whose J bodily dimensions were not wholly in accord with those of a cockpit, were mercilessly exposed to the (not always knowledgeable) eyes of the dancers. Even.the "blimp" which floated near the flag-draped balcony did not escape and bore the identifying letters R.U.Q.K. on its blunt-ended nose.

There was nothing humorous about the other decorations. The dummy gunners, gauntieted, helmeted, and begoggled, which crouched before menacing Lewis guns in cockpits at either side of the stage", were too realistic to be amusing, and the shining radial engine with its polished pistons and gleaming propellers gave .an inkling of the efficiency and power of the junior service. A model of a Blackburn Baffin bomber, the crests of the Territorial Squadron, and the band, the hovering sparrow hawk emblazoning the central standard, and the particular emblem of the New Zealand sparrow hawk squadron, were all most impressive. IN THE LOUNGES. Excellent arrangements '. had been made for the comfort of the guests, and the warm lounges with their red carpets and niany deep easy chairs were very much appreciated, especially by the feminine portion of those present. Commissionaires and airmen were on duty and assiduously looked after the comfort of the guests. Greenery and French marigolds were massed in the stairway alcove, and palms stood sentinel in the be-flagged foyer..1 Jonquils were set in silver vases down the length of the official table, which was criss-crossed with twisted ribbons of the two Air Force blues and red, the squadron's colours. A large poster bearing actual • size replicas of various accoutrements in the kit of a member of the Air Force elicited the interest of a number of the guests. The ball is believed to be the first of its kind held by such a territorial unit, and the officers and men of the junior service in Wellington, who organised the function last night, set a standard which will be difficult to equal when the time comes for the Navy and the Army to return hospitality. MANY GUESTS. • Among the invited guests, most ol whom attended the function, were the Hon. F. Jones (Minister of Defence) and Mrs. Jones, the Hon. V. and Mrs. Ward, Mr. T. Ban'ow (Air Secretary) and Mrs. Barrow, Mr. H. Turner (Army Secretary) and Mrs. Turner, Mr. T. C. A. Hislop (Mayor of Wellington) and Mrs. Hislop, Group-Cap-tain H. W. L. Saunders (Chief of Air Staff) and Mrs. Saunders, Gi'oup-Cap-tain and Mrs. T. Wilkes, Group-Cap-tain and Mrs. L. Isitt, Wing-Comman-der and Mrs. A. Nevill, SquadronLeader E: Grundy, Squadron-Leader and Mrs. L. Crocker, Squadron-Leader and Mrs. J. Davidson, SquadronLeader and Mrs. J.. P. Stewart, FlightLieutenant and Mrs. J. Agar, FlightLieutenant and Mrs. I. Rawnsley, Flight-Lieutenant and Mrs. L. Taylor, Flying-Officer W. D. Abernethy, Fly-ing-Officer E. B. Waters, Flying-Offi-cer and Mrs. J. A. Cooper, FlyingOfficer F. J. McWhinnie, Flying-Offi-cer and Mrs. A. B. Lindop, FlyingOfficer S. M. Watson, Flying-Officer and Mrs. S. Meatchem, Pilot-Officer and Mrs. H. Wilton, Pilot-Officer and >Mrs. G. Martin, Pilot-Officer and Mrs. R. Smillie, Pilot-Officer A. Pritchard, Pilot-Officer R. Morphy, Warrant-Offi-cer and Mrs. Trott, Flight-Sergeant and Mrs. G. Ellis, Flying-Officer and Mrs. Langtry, Flight-Lieutenant and Mrs. P. E. Hudson, Colonel and Mrs. Finlayson, Colonel R. Miles, Colonel and Mrs. I. T. Standish, Colonel and Mrs. O. H. Mead, Colonel and Mrs. and Miss Puttick, Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. E. T. Rollings, Lieut.-Colonel and Mrs. S. H. Crump, Lieutenant- [ Colonel and Mrs. A. E. Conway, Lieui tenant-Colonel and Mrs. G. B. Parkin« json, Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. R. A. Row, Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs.** W. G. Stevens, Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. E. M. Stace, Lieutenant-Colonel and Mrs. A. J. Manson, LieutenantColonel and Mrs. R. Fenton, Commander and Mrs. F. Taylor, Major and Mrs. E. F. Green, Major and Mrs. W. H. Bull, Major and Mrs. A. V. Jenkins, Major and Mrs. G. H. Clifton, Major and Mrs. Twhigg, Major and Mrs. F. L. Hunt, Captain and Mrs. Loadsman, Captain and Mrs. R. Glasi gow, Captain E. M. Findlayson, Capitain and Mrs. A. H. Sugden, Captain I and Mrs. Hope-Robertson, Captain and Mrs. A. E. Gorton, Lieutenant A. Curtis, Lieutenant G. Penlington, Lieutenant and Mrs. F. M. Jenkins, Lieutenant B. D. A. Fitzgerald, Lieutenant W. Thornton, Lieutenant and Mrs. A. Andrews, Lieutenant E. W. S. Williams, Lieutenant E. J. Horwood, Lieutenant and Mrs. R. A. Brice, and Lieutenant and Mrs. C. Meachem.

FAY COMPTON'S FORTITUDE

Miss Fay Compton, who played' Ophelia at the last night of the Lyceum, carried on bravely with a temperature of 104, states the "Post's" London correspondent. She has now left for, Denmark by air to play the part at Elsinore to John Gielgud's Hamlet. Her son, Mr. Tony Pelissier.' acted as host for his absent mother, when her doctor forbade her to go to. Maidstone to attend a big charity; concert which she had organised. "But without Fay," according to one; who was present, '"the supper party fell slightly flat"