LINCOLN COLLEGE MEMORIAL.

Press, Volume LX, Issue 18151, 14 August 1924, Page 3

LINCOLN COLLEGE MEMORIAL.

OFFICIAL OPENING OF HALL. The ofiicial opening of the Lincoln Co'lege Memorial Hall and the unveiling of the roll of honour took place at the College yesterday in the presence of old hoys, relatives, and friend.". The new hall, which is attached to the main building, is a handsome structure in brick with white stone facings. On one of the interior walls are two greenstone slaba bearing the names of past students who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War, and on the opposite wall arc two slabs inscribed with the names of all connected with the College who served in the war. A staging at one end and ample floor space make the hall admirably suited for the purpose for which it was designed, the | holding of reunions and similar | gatherings. ~ -r> The principal of the College, Mr H. I E. Alexander, presided at the ceremony. i Apologies for absence were received i from the Prime Minister, tho Minister of Defence (the Hon. Sir E. Hcaton Rhodes), Colonel R. Young. O.C. Souther.. Command; the Hon. W. 11. Triggs, M.L.C.; the Hon. G. J. Smith, M.L.0.: the Hon. D. Bud.lo, M.F.; Dr. C. Chilton, Rector of Canterbury College; and Messrs L. M. Isitt, D. G. Sullivan, and 11. T. Armstrong, M.P.'s. - The hymn, "O God Our Help m Ages Past," was sung in opening. Mr Alexander said that on the first dav that it was apparent that war was certain, some of the students waited upon the speaker and asked advice as to wh-it they should do. The students working upon the place were among the first in Christoimrch to enlist. It: was just on 10 years since they bade farewell to the "first nine to go. Three of that number had been killed. Within three months every available student was in training. There were 220 students and ex-students who went to the war, and of that number GO lost their iives—an extraordinary percentage. The first recorded in the long list of dead was E. W. Freeman, who was killed in October, 1914, while serving in the Imperial Army. Prom Gallipoli onwards the' list was continuous. One thing had been made clear, and that was that there were no distinctions in war. The honours gained included D.S.O.'s, D.C.M.'s, Military Crosses and Military Medals, in addition to commissions, which went as high as lieutenant-colonel. Almost' £OOO was raised by the College for the Lady Liverpool Fund. In regard to the hall, he said it was a little over-five years pince they had held a meeting in Christchurch to discuss the matter of a memorial. The erection of the hall had been decided upon as the result of a letter from a student suggesting that form of memorial. Messrs England Br-is. were the architects and the contractors were Messrs Rennell Bros., and he was glad to. pay a tribute to the work of both firms. He was glad that Mr H. A. Knight, the first student of the College, had consented to formally open the hall. (Applause.) " Mr Knight formally . unveiled the memorial tablets. On behalf of the Board of Governors, said ■ Mr Knight, he had much pleasure in taking oyeT the memorial hall. He did not think that there could have been anything more fitting as a memorial. He trusted it would be held and kept for the purpose for which it had been erected. The example of tlie men who had died in the'cause would form a noble tradition for those who were td'follow. Their svinpathy went out' to the relatives of the fallen. Although the hall was not being opened frse of debt, there was still -time for old students and those who were leaving to repay in some'smaH measure the debt owed to the fallen. The hall would be used for reunions, and it was hoped that it would be a meeting place for old students from near and far. That day was not to be one of gloom and sorrow. "Just think of them as you knew them. 'They arc not dead but just away,' " concluded Mr Knight. Colonel J. Findlay expressed his pleasure at being present at any function connected with the College. He recognised that the College was doing a national work. The speaker had had the honour of commanding a regiment in the'war, and he would like to mention by name two officers who were old boys of the College. Colonel John Stewart was a progressive faimer and a clever soldier who had been killed befoie he had had his chance. Lieutenant Blakene:/, who would be known to many present, was a troop leader in the speaker's regiment, and ho had died on service while leading his troop into £inai. There were many others he could mention. He congratulated the Collego upon the possession of such a magnificent memorial, but no memorial could bo too good. Colonel F. SSymons also spoke, con-' gratulating the College upon the com--1 pletion of the hall, which would remain as an inspiration to those who followed ' after.

Colonel Hugh. Stewart, Dominion President of the"Returned" Soldiers' Association, congratulated th-3 College upon its inspiring and splendid record of war service. The proportion of fallen must constitute a record. One could not help being impressed with the young men who had gone. They were the pick of New Zealand's manhood. The hall combined the ideal of serving a useful purpose and also being in itself a very beautiful thing. The singing of "God of Our Fathers" and the sounding of the "Last Post" concluded the ceremony. The names iii3cribed on the tablets "to keep in memory students who went from cnis College and fell in the Great War, 191.1-1919,'" are as follows:—A. Abbott, R. T. Barlow, W. J. Balsillie, H. B. W. Barter, G. H. Beale, C. Blakeney, S. J. Bowker, E. Calssn-Weisert, S. Chambers, E. W. Chapman, E. S. Cooper, T. R. Cussons, A. R. Descliler, B. P. Dive, E. O. Elder, W. W. Eustace. S. C. Farnie, A. T. Field, C. H. Green, E. M. Grimwade, L. I. Grimwade, A. 11. Guv, L. N. Haines, H. Harding, J. L. Herbert, 11. M. Hogben, E. S. Jameson, R. H. Kember, D. B. Lane, F. Leversedge, H. L. Ludbrook, W. R. McCorDiitk, I. B. MacDougall, D. B. Maefarlane, J. A. McQueen, M.C., L. I. Manning, M.C., F. B. Martin, E. Miln, E. A. Maude, L. B. Murray, A. Ormond, C. K. Page, N. A. Pearce, E. Price, C. W. Reed, E. A. Robertson, J. C. Robertson, F. G. Russell, the Earl of Seafield, A. Sinclair-Thomson, E. W. Smith, H. W. Steel, T. L. Steele, M.C., G. H. Stewart, G. B. Taylor, I). M. Tomlinson, P. H. Trcssider, F. C. R. Upton, M.C., J. F. Watchorn, R. E. Wilde. The Old Boys' Association annual reunion was held in the evening, when the toast-list was as follows:—"Fallen Comrades," proposed by Mr 11. A. Knight; "The College," proposed by Mr D. Chapman, response by Mr H. A. Knight; "Board of Governors," proposed bv Mr L. Maefarlane, response by members; "The Staff," proposed by Mr A. W. Hudson, response by Mr R. h. Alexander and members of the staff; ! "Past Members of the Staff," proposed by Mr J. Brown, response by Messrs G. Grey, A. Tavlor, and A. A. Johnston; "Old Boys' Association," proposed by Mr A. A. Johnston, response by Mr G. SI. Holford; and "The Students," proposed by Mr J. Wilson, response by Mr H. F. Houghton.