WARM WELCOME

Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 June 1943, Page 4

WARM WELCOME

GIVEN TO GENERAL FREYBERG IN GREETED BY LARGE CROWD AT RAILWAY STATION. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. Some time before the Auckland Express arrived this morning a large crowd had gathered in anticipation of getting a glimpse of Lieutenant-Gen-eral Sir B. Freyberg. An area was roped off for the official welcoming party. It was a notable gathering, and in itself a measure of the esteem in which General Freyberg is held. Besides members of the Ministry and War Cabinet, there were present the Chief of the Naval Staff (Sir Atwell Lake), the Chief of the Air Staff, Air Commodore Goddard, senior military staff officers, British and Dominion representatives and representatives of the various Government services.

General Freyberg, who looked very fit. was greeted with a burst 'of cheering as he stepped off the train, in company with the Prime Minister (Mr Fraser), the Minister of Finance (Mr Nash) and the Chief of the General Staff (Lieutenant-General Puttick). Rain was falling heavily at the time, but the crowd had grown and there was-a renewed burst of cheering while General Freyberg inspected the guard of honour, from a heavy regiment stationed in the Wellington area. He was afterwards introduced by Mr Fraser to the official party, and. after exchanging a few words with old friends, stepped into the Vice-Regal car, in company with Major Holland Martin, Aide-de-Camp to his Excellency, and Captain White, his own aide, and left amid cheers for Government House.