TROOPS FOR CAMP.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LX, Issue 142, 16 May 1940, Page 8

TROOPS FOR CAMP.

* THIRD ECHELON MEN. Men who will become members of the Third Echelon of New Zealand Expeditionary Force field artillery units and others who will be reinforcements for the 28th (Maori) Rifle Battalion either entrained at Palmerston North or passed through the city from southern points bound for Papakura. early last evening. The now familiar scene at the railway station was repeated, the rollcall on the northern end of the platform, the farewells and good wishes and then the train pulling out of the station, carriage after carriage of happy and enthusiastic men waving, calling and singing as the carriages glided along. There were about 350 men on the special troop train when it reached Palmerston North. About 150 from the Wairarapa, Hawke’s Bay and Poverty Bay districts (nearly 80 being Maoris) joined it here in company with 28 from Palmerston North. The behaviour of the recruits from the Hawke’s Bay side of the ranges in the journey to Palmerston North was excellent, stated an officer who had accompanied them. The stamp of manhood on the whole train was such as to suggest that the same would be said on their arrival at Papakura this morning. There were several hundred civilians on the platform and the usual scenes of light-heartedness were witnessed at the departure of troops for. camp. • Numbers of the troops had already undergone some training in southern centres.

On the platform a civilian had a bugle and was attempting to sound army calls, and in one of the carriages, as the train left, a piper was just beginning a tune, all the windows were filled, most of the doors occupied, and strangers and friends alike exchanged handshakes and waved. Lustily sung choruses swelled and fell as the singers passed.