ALL SAINTS' CHURCH

Evening Star, Issue 17923, 20 March 1922, Page 2

ALL SAINTS' CHURCH

MEMORIAL WINDOW UNVEILED,

Yesterday, at tho morning service in All Saints' Church, a memorial, window, inscribed to Lieutenant J. H. Allen, Worcester Regiment, son of Sir James Allen, was dedicated by the dean. This window, ot English mako—Gascoigno and Co., Nottingham—was recently described by our London correspondent. Speaking from the lectern, the dean said: "At this point in our devotions we proceed to dedicate a window erected in memory of a soldier killed in action, John Hugh Allen, who was born in this parish, and whom as an infant I baptised in this church, member of a family associated with the parish from its beginning. His grandfather gavo the piece of ground on which this church stands, his lather the piece for the schoolroom. After graduating at Cambridge, ho returned to New Zealand, and when again amongst us assisted in the work of the "parish. On Sunday, in turn with a fellow-parishioner of his own age and of like history, John Nevill Ritchie,. he read the lessons from the lectern at which I am how standing. Tho calamity of,the war broke upon us, and both these young men ofi'ered for service, eagerly, as I know. Their term of service was short; within a few months both fell in action—Ritchie in Mesopotamia, on the banks of the Tigris; Alton on the tragic hills of Gallipoli. From today their memorials will face each other in this church which was their spiritual home. These two names included, tho roll of honor we have set up at the west end of tho church contains 167 names, thirtythree of them distinguished by. the cross which indicates ' Killed in action or died of wounds.' All inscribed there were at some time parishioners, most of them born in the parish and baptised at the font near which their record stands. We honor their names; we provide as best wo can that they shall be held in everlasting remembrance—for us and for those who come after us an inspiration to duty, service, and sacrifice."

The clergy and choir, in procession, then moved to the site of the window, which the dean unveiled. A prayer of consecration was said by the Rev. C. IT. Ritchie, and the procession returned, singing the hymn 'On the Resurrection Morning.' The Communion office then followed.