WARRIORS' CHAPEL.

Press, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20621, 10 August 1932, Page 5

WARRIORS' CHAPEL.

UNVEILING CEREMONY. MEMORY OF THE FALLEN. j (PKOM OUR OWX COnRKSPOKDEST.) LONDON, Juno 29. In Westminster Abbey, the Prince of Wales unveiled the Warriors' Chapel, while some gifts for ,its adornment were dedicated by the ipean, Dr. 'PoxIcy Norris, to the memory of the million men and women of the Empire who died in the Great War. The chapel is close to the tomb of the Unknown Warrior. It already contains the tablet given by the Tmporial War Graves Commission, uncovered by tbo Prince of Wales in 1926, and inscribed with Mr Eudyard Kipling's words:— "To the glory of God and to the memory of One Million Dead of the British' Empire who fell in the Great War, 1014-1918. They died in every quarter of the earth and on all its seas, and their graves pre made sure to them by their kin. The main host lie buried in tho lands of our Allies of the War, who. have .set. asido their resting-place in honour, for, over." The gifts included the nltar, screen and altar frontal. New Zealand was officially represented at tho ceremony. The fnvited company included also tlie relatives of the Abbey servants who fell in the War —whose 12 names are inscribed on a pillar of the Warriors' Chapel—and many members of tho Mothers' Union, which has contributed largely to the furnishing and decoration of the'" chapel. Asking the Prince to perform the ceremony,' the Deau said: "It is. my great "privilege to ask you to unveil tjic chapel'which has been set apart as a place of prayer near the Warriors' Tomb, and the gifts that it contains. The inception of tho scheme is due to my reverend predecessor. Bishop Kyle. One of the last acts of his life was to approve tho plans prepared by Mr Comper for tho east end of tho chapel. It has fallen to our lot in this generation to begin, at Any ' rate, to carry out the work which ho with loving care contemplated. We have been able to do this owing to the gift of the beautiful screen, in the centre of which is incorporated the bronze trophy sent here to London by the City of Verdun, by the gift also of the altar, given ; in tiny sums by members of the Mothers' Union all over the world. As soon as the veil is drawn it will be perceived that our work is unfinished. Even the decoration of the screen is still incomplete. We hope iu time to complete it. In a central position in the:chapel stands the tablet presented by the War Graves Commission, and unveiled by your Royal Highness in tho presence of the Prime Ministers of the Empire some years ago. "We trust that God's blessing will rest upon what we- are doing to-day, and upon all those who from time to time use this chapel, standing close to the Unknown Warrior's Tomb, and remember before God those they lovod and have lost."

The Prince of Wales, having unveiled the chapjel bv drawing back the Union Jack, said:—"l feel it is a great privilege to have been jnvited to unveil this chapel and the screen, the gifts of so many mothers and so man}' relations of those who lost their lives in tho War. I can think of no more fitting place* than this great Abbey for this Warriors' Chapel." The folds of the Union Jack, loosened by his Royal Highness, fell away to reveal the "beautiful renaissance bronze screen separating the chapel from tho nave of tho Abbey. The centre of the gilded 1 scioll work, which is a feature of the screen's design, p occupied by the bronze trophy sent to London by tho City of Verdun. It bears the inscription: "Cite de Verdun a l'armee Britannique." The screens and altar and its figures, modelled by Mr Bertram Pegrany have fceen designed by Mr J. N. Comper. On ft» JSTMfe wall facing the eltar is the

tablet commemorating the Empire's 1.000,000 dead, erected by the Imperial War Graves Commission. The Dean then said the words of dedication. The hymn "O Valiant Hearts" followed, and after the Blessing and the National Anthem thero was a silence, during which the Prince opened the iron gate of the chapel and passed through,