AT VIMY RIDGE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 244, 28 July 1936, Page 5

AT VIMY RIDGE.

‘2 A TOUGHIN-G ‘E‘PISODE.

l ‘ THE KING AND BLINDED MEN. (United Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, July 26. The “Daily Mail,” dealing with the unveiling of the Canadian war memor—ial at Vimy Ridge, emphasises that the King, for the first time, acted as the King of at Dominion in a. foreign coun~ try. It was as King of Canada, not King of England, that he was greeted by the Canadian Minister for Justice (Mr E. Lapointe), who was Minister in Attendance. When the King walked among the thousands of pilgrims he was accompanied only by members of the Canadian officials; Ministers and the clergy referred to {him as our King, and he repeatedly in his address used the word “we,” meaning the King oflC'an—ada and his people. ' The newspaper adds: “NO'r‘nore solemn occasion could have distinguished this rededic‘ation of Empire unity; 1., “The most touching episode waswhen the King recalled his meeting'in TO- - with Culley-Christian, a, J amaican, who served with the Canadian army, He Washli'nded'and “without feet or .hands, when he “was (1,1,1ng after days of burial on Vimy Ridge. He is believed to be the only “soldier living suffering such disabilities. The Kingshook the arm of Christian, who plead--.ed that his Majesty should receive' 20 blinded soldiers. The King conseiited,‘ and Christian carried out the presentation, lifting up each man’s hand with the stump of his right arm to enable the King to shake hands.”

The Vimy memorial, which was com—pleted after 10 years’ work by’ Mr Walter Allward, the sculptorndesigner, stands in a, park of 240 acres, pre—sented to Canada by the French Government. The bases of Mr Allward’s design are two great pylons'l4oft. in height, round which are grouped heroic figures, symbolising the human virtues, such as sacrifice, justice, and love of peace. The guns of the Vimy memorial are draped with laurel and olive. Mr Allward rejected a fully modelled figure of a soldier trampling upon a German helmet, lest a, note of undue harshness should disturb his work. For the memorial itself 8000 tons of stone were taken from a quarry originally used by the Emperor Diocletian for his palace at Spalato, the blocks varying from two to 26 tons in weight: Altogether 50,000 tons of stone was used', and the: cost of the memorial was £200,000. It is the most striking sculptured memorial on the Western Front. . i