ANZAC DAY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 55, Issue 166, 27 April 1935, Page 3

ANZAC DAY

SERVICES HELD IN BRITAIN.

THE TWENTY-NINTH DIVISION

GALLIPOLI AND THE ILIAD.

United Press Association—Copyright; LONDON, April 25.

Following the Anzac Day service, Mr 6. M. Bruce/ Sir James Parr and General Sir William Birdwood placed a wreath on the Cenotaph.

Other wreaths were placed on the Cenotaph by Lady Gore-Browne, for the Australian and New Zealand branches of the Women's Guild of Empire, General Sir lan Hamilton, for the British Empire Service League, General Sir Alexander Godley, and naval and military attaches of the French Embassy. Mr Robert W. Bingham, the American Ambassador, the Italian military and naval attaches and representatives of Belgium and Newfoundland attended the 29th Division service at Holy Trinity, Eltham, where LieutenantColonel Fitzherbert, representing Sir James Parr, placed a wreath on the memorial which has been carved by the vicar and which has only just been completed after eighteen years' work. Canon Bussell Wilford, formerly of Christchurch, Mr Bruce, Sir James Parr, General Sir William Birdwood, General Sir lan Hamilton and liaison officers led a procession of ex-service men and women past St. Clement Dane's war shrine, on which the High Commissioners placed wreaths. Canon Russell Wilford, in delivering the sermon, said that in 1914 the world knew that the Empire was united m conscience and purpose. Now pacifists were encouraging the nations to vio- • late treaties, because they thought that Britain had many voices and had signified that she would stand by while a wrong was done. General Sir lan Hamilton, speaking at the inaugural luncheon of the Empire Service Club, formed to provide a centre for continuing Imperial wartime friendships, drew a parallel between Gallipoli and Homer's "Iliad, forecasting that within 1000 years Australian and New Zealand schoolboys would listen \o professors expounding both legends 'and proudly trace thenown descent from the Anzao soldiers. Thus the gallant heroes would not be forgotten. "The wonder of those young giants sailing up from the south to help the King in his difficulties grows instead of diminishes," he said. . Mr J. H. Thomas, Dominions Secretary, said that the New Zealanders and Australians knew that the Motherland was in a scrap and unhesitatmgly rallied to her, regardless of right or wrong. ' The same spirit of adventure was evident in the desire of the British people to settle in the Dominions During the past five years there had never been less than 50,000 listed and ready to migrate, but it would be madness at present to consider Empire migration schemes.

MEMORIAL TABLET UNVEILED.

NEW ZEALANDERS AT WALTON

LONDON, April 25. 'Sir James Parr unveiled the New Zealand ex-soldiers' gift tablet at the 1000-year-old parish church at Walton-on-Thames, in memory of 21" New Zealanders who died in hospital at Walton, through which 30,000 New Zealand wounded soldiers passed. 1 The Rt. Rev. C. Golding-Bird (As-sistant-Bishop of Guildford) officiated. Sir James Parr placed wreaths on the graves at Walton cemetery.

GOVERNOR DEEPLY IMPRESSED.

MESSAGE TO RETURNED MEN

AUCKLAND, April 26

The Governor-General (Lord Galway), after attending the Anzac (Day parade and service at the Cenotaph yesterday afternoon, sent a message to the Returned Soldiers' Association conveying his high appreciation of the very large attendance of returned soldiers, and said he was deeply impressed by the dignity of the very appropriate ceremony and its excellent organisation. He sent his good wishes to all returned men, and trusted that lie might have a future opportunity of meeting them personally.