KING'S COLOURS.

Press, Volume LVI, Issue 16986, 8 November 1920, Page 3

KING'S COLOURS.

| CONSECRATION CEREMONY. A parade of returned soldiers of the Canterbury Regiment, N.Z.E.F., in cooperation with Territorials and Cadets, was hold at Cranmer square yesterday morning, to celebrate the presentation of the King's Colours to each of the three battalions in the Regiment, and the consecration of the Colours. The returned soldiers paraded in mufti, wearing badges and decorations, and the Cadets and Territorials were in uniform. Colonel R. Young, C.B. C.M.G., D.5.0., was in charge of the parade, and Lieut. 11, X. Foster was staff officer. The parade state was:— Rank and Officers. File. Returned soldiers ... 45 69 Ist Regimental Band ... 1 20 N.Z. Army Service Corps 3 55 Canterbury Cadet Battalion ... ... S 154 Christ's . College Cadets... 2 '270 West Christciiurch School Cadets 1 20 St. Andrew's College School Cadets ... 1 48 Technical College School Cadets ... ... 2 3d Grand parade ... G3 672 The ceremony at Cranmer square was brief. On the' companies being formed into a hollow square, the three flags wero uncovered and laid on drums in the centre by the following officers of the Canterbury Regiment N.Z.E.F.: Ist Battalion, Colonel R. Young; 2nd Battalion, Colonel Nowman Wilson, D.5.0., -.I.C. (who acted in the absence of Colonel Stewart* C.M.G.. D.5.0., 31.C., A.3>.C.); 3rd Battalion, Major R. A, Row, D.S.O. The National Anthem, led by tho Ist Regimental Band, was snnas a liymn, and the Rev._ F. Dunnage, Chaplain to the Forces, after prayer, performed the consecration ceremony, saying, as ho touched each flag, "In the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, wo dedicate and set apart tnese Colours as a sign of our duty to King and Country in the sight of God." The units then formed into column, and, with the Colours carried aloft in front, and the parade, with the three bands playing, marched down Armagh Btreet to Colombo street, and thencoto tho Cathedral. The 11 a.m. Matins were preceded by the ceremony of the Colours being delivered for safe keeping in the Cathedral. The officers commanding the threo battalions handed; over in turn the. respective banners to the Yerv Rev. Dean Carrington, say- j ing: "These Colours presented to the: Canterbury Regiment of tho New Zea-, land Expeditionary Force by his! Majesty the Xing, are handed over for i safe keeping in the care of this church, ! in memory of the fallen, and until such time as tliey may be again required." Dean Carrington, in receiving the Colours, said: "In the name of this Cathedral, and of tho Bishop, I accept these Colours. They will be placed in an honoured position in the chancel in memory of the great things done by our men in tho war." Tho Rev. F. Dunnage preached a special sermon for tho occasion, taking as his text the words in the sth verso of tho 20th Psalm, "In the name of our God wo set up our banner." He said that the people through all time had eet up and preserved some emblem chosen to* represent the_ national and tribal life of the community. That day they set iir> their banner, and committed it to the safe keening of tho Church, so that it might be preserved. Their national flag stood for the unity of the Empire, and Colours had been presented by the King, to whom subjects in all parts of the Empire looked with devoted affection. God, in His providence, had formed the British people into a great Empire, to be a blessing to humanity. They had j been given hicrli ideals of freedom, anil it was their duty to uphold those ideals among all mankind. Tho Colours stood for unity of Empire, and they also stood for Christianity. In the Gospel for that «dn,y the congregation read Christ's advice, "Render unto God the things that are God's, and to Ccesar the things that-are Ccesar's." It was not surprising, said. the preachcr, to rend that tho early Christians rendered military service to their Roman State because sinco the beginning of Christianity believers had high ideals of what constituted good citizenship. The Colours of the British Empire not only represented unitv of Empire, but they were also symbolical of Christianity. There was on the banner tho Cross, representing that oh which Christ had been crucified, and the diagonal cross representing that on which St. Andrew was crucified. The soldiers of Canterbury Regiment had received the signal ir»nrk of Royal appreciation, and tho! Colours would bo a witness for many generations to come of tho sen~ice ren-. dorcd by their soldiers to the State. They were also a memorial to the fallen soldiers, and they did well to conse- j crate the Colours and set them aside in: the hallowed sanctuary of God, so that), they might be something more than an i emblem of the mission of the great! Empire in fostering high* ideals. Christian citizenship, and self-sacrifice, but that- they might be a direction to one's dutv to God, King and Country. The Colours are silk Union Jacks. Tho words, "Canterbury Regiment," form a circle in the centre, and they are surmounted by a crown.