KING IN AFRICA

Wairarapa Times-Age, 17 June 1943, Page 3

KING IN AFRICA

VISITING VICTORIOUS ARMIES JOURNEY MADE BY AIR AN ENTHUSIASTIC WELCOMEHONOUR FOR GENERAL EISENHOWER. (By Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright) ' ’ LONDON, June 16. His Majesty the King, accompanied by the Secretaries of State for War and Air, is visiting the British First and Eighth Armies, the Royal Navy and the Royal. Air Force in North Africa, states an announcement which was issued from Buckingham Palace this morning.

His Majesty has welcomed the opportunity of seeing the United States armies and air forces there and also the French‘army, with which, his own forces have been so close.y associated in the recent memorable victory, and of investing General Dwight Eisenhower, the Commander-In-Chief cf the Allied Forces in that theatre, with the insignia of Knights Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath.

After visits to the forces the King has already made the investiture. It will be recalled that the order was conferred simultaneously upon Generals Eisenhower and MacArthur for their valuable services in command of the troops of the Allied nations. NEWS SPREADS QUICKLY. The King received an enthusiastic welcome from Allied Forces in North Africa. Although his arrival last Saturday morning was necessarily secret, the news of his presence on African soil spread like wildfire. The welcome is growing every day, as more and more people realise that the King is among them. The King made the journey from Britain in the big Liberator used by Mr Churchill a fortnight ago. Since his landing, he has visited hospitals and watched a demonstration by the American Fifth Army of Allied strength and equipment in Africa. He also met British troops in the field and toured the Tunisian battlefield. COUNCIL OF STATE. His Majesty has appointed five Councillors of State to act for him in his absence. They are the Queen, the Duke of Gloucester, the Princess Royal, the Duke of Connaught and Lady Southesk (Her Highness Princess Maud, second daughter of the late Princess Royal and Duke of Fife).

His Majesty has previously made several notable visits abroad since, as the Duke of York, together with the Duchess, he went to Australia and New Zealand in 1927. Their Majesties visited Canada and the United States in 1939, when the King was the first British Monarch to set foot in America. In the preceding year, his Majesty visited the President of France, and in December, 1939, he crossed to France to inspect the British Expeditionary Force.

During the war the King has travelled very extensively in Great Britain on tours of inspection and visits to the services and his subjects.