GREAT MILITARY SPECTACLE

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 679, 3 June 1929, Page 1

GREAT MILITARY SPECTACLE

Auckland Troops Honour King

OVER 6,000 ON PARADE

ROUSING march tunes from massed "band ; thrilled 'J’J.OOO people in the Domain this morning. r l he crowd, tense, its imagination caught by an immense military spectacle, waited for long lines of troops to swing past the Governor General, Sir Charles.Fergusson. In brilliant ceremonial work, troops, representing all of Auckland’s military divisions, took the King s salute.

As each line, perhaps diminutive cadets from a college, or helmeted naval marines, vent past the viceregal stand, cheering broke from the throngs bordering the Domain turf. The salute to honour King George's Birthday—the row of heads swung precisely toward Sir Chales; oiled | rifles, catching the light, flashed a j message to the people. Striding sec- j tion commanders swept taut hands to the salute. Came the Bluejackets, marching deliberately. The blue lines swung across the green turf. Spectacle, this,, for ail appreciative crowd. Then smartly-dressed marines, white helmets with shining brass peaks, paced by. Trained to the minute, their marching was faultlessly timed. Territorials, senior cadets, college cadets —all strode by in quick sue- j cession. Round the huge ground went the lines; smartly they returned to the parade formation. Salutes from the passing lines were over and the massed bands became silent. A school bugler walked j quickly from the ranks. Each blast j from his trumpet was the signal for orders for the troops. They echoed | among the khaki and blue seetion/3Then—“ Three cheers for His Maj- j esty the King.” It was Sir Charles Ferguseon’s voice. Troops, with hats and llc\metS waving in the air, and public joined in response to the call. Regimental colours. temporarily bowed to the ground, once more fluttered above their sections. From the spectacular to the •prosaic fell the ceremony. The ranks trooped from the ground and the Domain emptied. INSPIRING SPECTACLE, Drawn up in companies in review order stretching almost the. entire length of the parade ground, tbfce units presented an inspiring spectafcle. The blue uniforms of the bluejackjets, the white gloved and helmeted marines, with their red-faced equipment, and the navy blue uniform of the secondary schools cadets, lent a colourful touch to the comparative drabness of thousands of khaki-clad figures. Viewed by thousands of Aucklanders, who clustered at every possible vantage point on the Domain Hill, it was one of the finest military and naval pageants witnessed in the city for many years. As Auckland’s official tribute to His Majesty, the ceremaqy typified the spirit of the thousands who witnessed it. In command of the trooips were 146 officers. The divisions and their reI presentations were: Naval Brigade, 1, officers, 429 other ranks; artillery, 22 and 493; engineers, 7 and 116: sig-

nallens. 4 and 81; First Auckland Regiment. 25 and 1S0l; A Company, North Auckland Regiment, 4 and 91; Army Service Corps, 3 and 120; Medical Corps. 7 and 65; First Cadet Brigade. 3S arid 2,160; Second Brigade, 11 and l,4?o: Third Brigade. 8 and 1,145. Colonel J. N. McCarroll. C.M.G.. "D&.O , V.D.. of the First New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade, controlled the parade. He was assisted by Major W. C. Finals, of the New Zealand Staff Corps; Captain G. Dittiuar, staff officer; Lieutenant E. Tingev, orderlyofficer and Staff-Sergeant-Majoi IV. A. Smeal, the orderly-sergeant-major. AT THE SALUTING BASE Resplendent in ceremonial uniform, the Governor-General, Sir Charles Fergusson. accompanied by his aides. Captain E. G. Boyle, of the Royal Scots Fusiliers, and Captaiu E. L. Orr-F.wing, of the Black Watch tßoyal Highlanders), arrived at the saluting base promptly at ten o'clock. They i were received by Major-General R. Young, G.0.C., New Zealand Force-: Commodore C. T. C. P. Swabey. Colonel J. E. Duigan, Major Glendiniog, Lieut.-Colonel Tracy lnglis. Col.-Major R. S. Matthews, and Captain Wells. As the strains of the National Anthem were heard, the Union Jack a: ! the saluting base was broken, its folds | fluttered in the light breeze. The i battery, set high on the hill behind 1 the Domain, boomed out the Royal | salute of 21 guns. shrouding the : parade ground in a haze of blue smoke. Fitful gleams of sunshine began to break through the overcast sky as the Governor-General and the retinue of officers began the inspection of the troops, a duty invested with true mili tary dignity. Returning toward the base, his Excellency greeted warmly several consuls representing foreign countries participating in the function and finally inspected a number of re | turned soldiers. The march past ceremony was in spiring as it was spectacular, and tbi ! crowd, entering into the spirit of th« parade, acclaimed the units as they swung past to the stirring band music Rifles, with gleaming bayonets swung to the “Present!” once moreunits stood at attention as flu Governor-General and officers stooi saluting the fluttering Union Jack as the National Anthem brought to . close a ceremony that fittingly hon oured his Majesty.