PATRIOTIC DAY PROCESSION

Southland Times, Issue 24824, 17 August 1942, Page 3

PATRIOTIC DAY PROCESSION

PARADES THROUGH CITY Beautifully fine weather favoured the youth parade and military parade in the city on Saturday morning to mark Patriotic Day, and a large crowd watched Boy Scouts, Sea Scouts, members of the Boys’ Brigade, soldiers ana cadets of the Air Training Corps march through the city. The marching throughout was of a good standard. The youth parade, which was arranged by the Invercargill Traders’ Patriotic Assistance Committee, moved off from the comer of Leet and Dee streets at 10.30 a.m. The parade was headed by the Battalion Boys’ Band and the various units marched behind it in the following order:—St. Paul’s Boy Scouts, Jellicoe Sea Scouts, St. Mary’s Sea and Boy Scouts, Southern Cross Boy Scouts, Gladstone Boy Scouts and the Boys Brigade. The boys marched from Dee street and turned into Tay street. The salute at the Town Hall was taken by the Mayor, Mr A. Wachner, who was accompanied by Councillors A. W. Jones (Deputy-Mayor), F. A. Webb, W. Aitchison and G. Hewton, Mr W. F. Sturman (town clerk) and Mr P. L. Hodge, chairman of the Metropolitan Patriotic Committee. The parade turned out of Tay street into Deveron street, where it was dismissed, but the band remained to play outside the Town Hall for the later parade. MILITARY PARADE The military parade moved off from Victoria Avenue at 11 a.m. It was led by the Southland Boys’ High School Band and was in charge of Major J. Stobo. Behind the band came men of the 20th Independent Company led by Captain D. Dun. In this section there were a considerable number of men wearing ribbons which showed that they were veterans of the Great War. The next unit consisted of men from the recruit training depot. They were for the most part younger men. They were led by Captain A. St. C. MacGregor and were headed by the camp pipe band. 2nd Lieutenant W. Maley was adjutant of the parade and the parade sergeant-major was Warrant Officer E. V. Lilley. The soldiers were followed at a considerable distance by two flights of the Invercargill Squadron of the Air Training Corps, headed by the band of the Southland Technical College and led by Flying Officer P. I. Maclean. A number of cadets from the Southland Technical College brought up the rear of the procession. The procession moved along Dee street and Tay street to the Town Hall, where it turned and marched back over the same route. The salute at the Great War Memorial was taken by Dr A. Owen-Johnston, president of the Invercargill Returned Services Association. Mr R. N. Todd, president of the South African War Veterans’ Association, took the salute at the South African War Memorial, and the salute at flie Town Hall was taken by Lieu-tenant-Colonel H. C. Mackenzie, officer commanding No. 12 military area, who was accompanied by the Mayor and members of the City Council. The parade state for the military parade showed a total of 13 officers and 385 other ranks.