AIR FORCE BAND HAS BUSY DAY
PARADES THROUGH CITY Yesterday was the culminating day of the visit to InvercargiU of the band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force, and it was an extremely busy one for the bandsmen. In the course of it they paid visits to two schools; they led through the city a parade which preceded a recruiting rally for the Air Force; they gave a display of ceremonial marching in the Crescent during the afternoon, and at night they gave their final concert in the Civic Theatre. During the visit the band endeared itself to the citizens by the excellence of its musical performance and the brilliance of its ceremonial marching. The mid-day parade before the recruiting rally attracted large crowds into the city, and the route of the parade was thickly lined with spectators. For about half an hour before the parade a flight of _ Kittyhawk fighters roared over the city in close formation and gave a thrUl to the citizens. The parade was one of the longest seen in InvercargiU in recent months and included some units seen in a procession for the first time in InvercargiU. Headed by the Air Force Band, the parade was commanded by FlightLieutenant H. R. Bisley, of the R.N.Z.A.F. headquarters staff, who was accompanied by Flying Officer C. W. Gillies, officer commanding the Air Training Corps in Otago and Southland. Flying Officer P. I. Maclean was in command of the InvercargiU squadron of the corps. The squadron followed immediately after the band, included in it being the Southland Boys’ High School and Southland Technical College units. Then came a detachment of members of the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, from a northern station. The Boys’ High School Band, the High School Cadet Corps, the Technical College Cadets and units of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary. SMART BEARING The parade impressed spectators by the smart bearing of its members, the women’s sections being applauded heartily. As the parade passed the War Memorial the salute was taken by the president of the Invercargill Returned Services Association (Dr A. Owen-Johnston); at the South African War Memorial it was taken by Mr J. Mulcahy, representing the South' African War Veterans’ Association, and at the Town Hall it was taken by the Mayor (Mr A. Wachner) and Squadron Leader S. L. GUkison. Wheeling about in Tay street, the parade returned to the South African War Memorial and the members formed up to the west and south of the memorial for the recruiting addresses. The next appearance of the Air Force Band was in a ceremonial marching display in the Crescent. A tremendous crowd watched the display and gave rounds of applause as the band performed its complicated evolutions and counter-marching, concluding with the formation of the V for Victory sign and the letters N.Z. Mr P. L. Hodge, chairman of the Invercargill Metropolitan Patriotic Committee, thanked the band for its performance and at his request, and to the delight of the spectators, the band played several marches. During the morning the band visited the Southland Boys’ High School and the Southland Technical College to give displays for secondary school pupils. EVENING PARADE The parade in the evening attracted another very large crowd on to the streets and afterwards there was an extraordinary scramble for seats for the final concert by the Air Force Band in the Civic Theatre. The parade was led by the Battalion Boys’ Band and then followed the Invercargill Squadron of the A.T.C. under Flying Officer P. I. McLean. The Battalion Band headed the 32nd Lines of Communication Company under Captain R. F. Jones. Then came the Civic Band and the Invercargill Battalion of the Home Guard. Major J. E. Cuthill led the first wing, which consisted of A, D and Headquarters companies and behind the Invercargill Caledonian Band. Captain B. W. Hewat led B and C companies of the Home Guard. The Air Force Band will visit Gore today and travel north tomorrow. FINAL PERFORMANCE IN INVERCARGILL The band of the Royal New Zealand Air Force gave its final performance in Invercargill in the Civic Theatre last evening. A wonderful reception awaited the band and it responded accordingly. Seating accommodation in the theatre was at a premium half an hour before the performance was timed to start and hundreds of persons were unable to gain admission. Late-comers were more fortunate and were accommodated in the orchestral well and in the wings and on the rear of the stage. It was a warm tribute to a popular band. J One of the attractions of the programme j
was the singing of “New Zealand” by the sextet from the Southland Boys’ High School. The band played the accompaniment which had been arranged by the conductor, Flight-Lieutenant Gladstone Hill. Floral emblems, an aeroplane and a victory sign were auctioned during the evening. Both were offered and sold several times by Mr C. Trim, and when they were finally disposed of they were handed over to the W.A.A.F.’s who had taken part in the day’s performances in the city. At the conclusion of the performance the Mayor, Dr A. Owen-Johnston and Messrs RT. Meredith, L. R. Lopdell and P. L. Hodge thanked the band for the part it had played in the recruiting rally and the drive on behalf of the R.S.A. for funds for prisoners of war parcels. The audience showed its appreciation by singing “For they are jolly good fellows.”
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Southland Times, Issue 24875, 15 October 1942, Page 5
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908AIR FORCE BAND HAS BUSY DAY Southland Times, Issue 24875, 15 October 1942, Page 5
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