Invested at Buckingham Palace
London – 3 May 1919 – crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace in London for an investiture by his Majesty King George V. Among the nurses and soldiers receiving awards and honours is a smartly dressed New Zealand officer in his lemon squeezer hat.
On the dais are Queen Mary and members of the royal household. In front stand Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig and his Generals – Plumer and Sir William Birdwood. Winston Churchill, then Secretary of State for War, stands proudly in morning suit and top hat.
After the ceremony, the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) Depot Band march past, followed by the New Zealand Parade Commander. Behind them are the New Zealand Field Artillery – note the infantry with their rifles and bayonets. Next, the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) march past. Mounted officers of the AIF and the Australian Light Horse trot by, and the crowd cheers and waves, then the AIF band march past – they are marching easy – and are followed by the Australian infantry.
Invested at Buckingham Palace
London – 3 May 1919 – crowds gather outside Buckingham Palace in London for an investiture by his Majesty King George V. Among the nurses and soldiers receiving awards and honours is a smartly dressed New Zealand officer in his lemon squeezer hat.
On the dais are Queen Mary and members of the royal household. In front stand Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig and his Generals – Plumer and Sir William Birdwood. Winston Churchill, then Secretary of State for War, stands proudly in morning suit and top hat.
After the ceremony, the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) Depot Band march past, followed by the New Zealand Parade Commander. Behind them are the New Zealand Field Artillery – note the infantry with their rifles and bayonets. Next, the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) march past. Mounted officers of the AIF and the Australian Light Horse trot by, and the crowd cheers and waves, then the AIF band march past – they are marching easy – and are followed by the Australian infantry.
Year: 1919
Length: 0:04:01
Production Company: C & E Films
Credits: Camera: Charles D Barton
Source: Ngā Taonga Sound & Vision
Catalogue Reference: F17841 Investiture by HM The King at Buckingham Palace and March of Overseas Troops Through London
People: King George V, Queen Mary, Winston Churchill, Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, General Plumer, General Sir William Birdwood
Location: London, United Kingdom
Tags: Parades, Investitures, King George V, Queen Mary, Winston Churchill, Field Marshall Sir Douglas Haig, General Plumer, General Sir William Birdwood, Buckingham Palace, 1919, WWI, World War One, Winston Churchill, New Zealanders
Subject: Buckingham Palace, Parades, Investitures, King George V, Queen Mary
Extract from The Camera in the Crowd by Chris Pugsley, pages 413 – 414.
“On 3 May 1919 there was an investiture of honours and awards by His Majesty King George V and the march-past of the Dominion troops through London. This was filmed by Charlie Barton and from the prominence given to the New Zealanders, it seems that it may be his film that is one of the two that survives in the Pathé vaults. The King invests a cross section of servicemen and nurses, including a very smartly dressed New Zealand officer in service dress and Sam Browne belt. The scene shifts to the royal dais outside Buckingham Palace and the King and members of the royal family. In front of the dais stands Field-Marshall Sir Douglas Haig and his generals, plus Winston Churchill, secretary of state for war. The New Zealanders march past led by their band, and then the Australians. The final scene shows the end of the parade and it is evident that the cameraman is surrounded by New Zealand soldiers who greet their fellows as they march towards them.
The sheer scale of the number of soldiers involved is better appreciated in the Pathé film Empire Pageant, which shows the march past the royal dais, but it is the view of the massed columns of men and horse-drawn artillery along the Strand that gives a perspective of the size of the parade.
The members of the New Zealand Division returned to the New Zealand camps in England for demobilisation and despite the inevitable frustrations, 58,832 men were returned to New Zealand. At Christmas 1919 there were only 792 still overseas. The closing of each camp and hospital was marked by commemoration services involving the local community that had developed strong ties with the New Zealanders”.