BRITISH HOSPITALITY TO N.Z. TROOPS

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Issue 144, 6 July 1937, Page 6

BRITISH HOSPITALITY TO N.Z. TROOPS

"They're Just LikeUs— Thsy

guard duty at palac6

Glowing accounts of the hospitablb reception acforded the New Zealafia Ddfbfiatibii cbntingent in England wcrtt given by Company Sergeant-Major Hi R. Heitord, of the Hawke's Bay Regiment, Gisborfie, who arrived in Napibr this fiibriiiiig bn his Wfly hbme. He effiphasised that all thfe pedple they nifet cbtiid not do enbbgh to inake the sttty of the colonial troops ifi England 'tt most plfeasafitf one. HoWfeVer, In an interview this morli- - illg lie Said that the .accounts of tiitt girls at the station throwing " their arms around the necks of the NAW Zealanders Were "bufik"; "They cei* tttifily gUVe Us a Wonderful .reception;" he Sfiid, "bfit they did fibt go that fii. ' 'Another thing I should like to mefition is in regard to the criticism bf the uaiforms piOvided the New Zealafid contingent,'} he added. "I must adniit thttt the Austraiiah tailored uniforifi, complete with red piping and the eniU feathers, was wonderful, but we adopted the attitude that the unifqrins thttt had been good enough for many of olir fdthertt to fight. fof thfeif cdhfit% ih wbre gdod ehoUgli fdf us"Pedplfe sfeehiefl t9 kfibW little ttbout New Zealand, but. they kfiew all abofit HttWkd's Bay, prdbaBly becttiise fif 'the bttftH^ilttke. Ifi this fidiiiififitiBn i rathfer ariiUsing thing occurred in Seot3 land dtirifig our three days' stay as thg guests df thb Lord r PfpVOSt bf igdinburgh. We stoppfed fof tek ttt thd Dumblafie Hydro ifi the TrofeSttfcllS; and thfe ustittl ertiWd gathefed tb greet us; Dfid bld Wdman was tliere With-hef daughter, . and she was heard ta fekclaim: 'Why, they .are just like us— they speak English!' " During the trip acrosS; the contingfeilt speiit a Shdrt tiifife ifi Panama, wher© the American force of 15,000 troops gave a Wonderful rfeeeptibh to the NeW Zettlttnders. "The feelifig of gdOd-fellowship" Ihe American soldiers have for NeW Zfealanders is most marked," said Sfer-geafit-Majdr Heiford. "Several of thfeir. top-sergeants mtef fis With four afiny trucks and condiicted US bfi a tour of Panama, both old flhd fifeWa Tliey eofild not do enougli fai? USj Thig huge portion of the Amfeiibttfi ttfffif ttt jpanttfiia is engaged ifi paffbl Wbfk; giittfdifig all the locks in thfe stfategidttl irfett bf the cafial, and thfe whole filttfefe bfiStles with big guns." The two pieces bf lufiip Sfigai1 given the troops during thedr ibfig filafch from 10 a.m. tb 4 p.ifl. on Cordfitttion Day were defefided by Sergeant-Mttjor Heiford. He said that ' he was surprised by the vitality given ■ by the sugar. Guard duty at Buckinghaifi Pttittce, an lionour tliat had never pffevibusly been accorded overseas trbops, Was fully appreciated by the NfeW Zelikilders. Sergeant-Major Heiford was giVen the lionour of being No 1 sentry, the main position- in the guard at ihe palace, and presented arms to Quefea Mary as she passed.