AIR FORCE BAND

Southland Times, Issue 24872, 12 October 1942, Page 2

AIR FORCE BAND

ARRIVAL IN CITY TODAY The visit of the band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force to Invercargill this week has a dual purpose, to stimulate recruiting for the Air Force and to help to raise money for the patriotic fund, the visit coinciding with the effort of the Invercargill Returned Soldiers’ Association to raise money for the benefit of prisoners of war. The band will arrive by the express from Dunedin this afternoon and will give its first concert in the Civic Theatre tonight. Tomorrow will be country people’s day and in the afternoon the band will play at the show grounds. Kittyhawk planes will give demonstration flights over the show grounds between 3 and 4 pjn. For the benefit of country visitors the railway department has arranged to delay the departure of trains for the country tomorrow afternoon. Tomorrow night at the Victory Ball, which is to be held in St. Mary’s hall, the music will be supplied by the dance orchestra of the band. On Wednesday there will be a recruiting rally at noon preceded by a parade through the city headed by the band. In conjunction with this parade Invercargill people will again be given an opportunity of seeing the Kittyhawks in demonstration flights. On Wednesday, too, the R.S.A. will make its main effort in its drive for money for the prisoners-of-war fund. One of several attractions in the afternoon will be a ceremonial display by the band in the Crescent. The band will give its final concert in the Civic Theatre on Wednesday night and this will be preceded by a parade through the city of Air Force trainees, Home Guardsmen and members of the 32nd Lines of Communication company. The band, which is conducted by Flight-Lieutenant R. Gladstone Hill, is stronger than it was on the occasion of its previous visit to the city. It now numbers over 60 instruments. Its present tour of New Zealand has proved very successful and it has played to large crowds in every town it has visited. SUCCESS OF TOUR During its tour of the South Island the band has given in the last three weeks about 50 public performances which have yielded large sums of money for patriotic funds. The band has established a reputation for itself and as a result all public appearances have been attended by record crowds. No fewer than 18,000 people attended the performance given in the Botanic Gardens in Christchurch. The bookings, for all concerts given by the band have been very heavy. ' x - Recruiting for the Air Training Corps has also been highly successful and a special appeal is being made in Invercargill to youths from 16 to 18 years of age to join the corps. Before coming to the South Island the band completed a tour of Auckland province. After leaving the South Island the band will visit Hawke’s Bay and Gisborne.