OUR RAILWAYMEN’S WAR RECORD

Evening Star, Issue 17958, 3 May 1922, Page 8

OUR RAILWAYMEN’S WAR RECORD

A SPLENDID TALE. There were 7,529 railwayman released for military ecrvico during the war. This is a great record ; but it is doubly creditable, in view of the fact that there came a lime when tho service could not spare more men and continue, to fulfil its duty' of maintaining essential transport services. Thus many men who would have served were deprived of the opportunity of doing so. The men who laid down their lives for the cause of Empire numbered' 446. The branches of the service to which these men belonged were : Locomotive running 113 Eocomotive workshops ... 80 Traffic 301 Maiiitenance 66 Head office 4 Stores 2 On Saturday afternoon (says the Wellington ‘Post’) the railway service fittingly recognised l the sacrifice of these men by unveiling a roll of honor, on which their names arc inscribed. Tho roll is a marble tablet bearing a plain .record of the names of the fallen. It is impressive in its simplicity, for no decoration is wanted! for such a record. Tho unveiling ceremony was performed by tho Prime Minister (the. Right Hon. W. F. Massey) in the presence of a largo .gathering of men who had served at tho front. In tho speeches of the Prime Minister and of tho .Acting-Minister of Railways (tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie) emphasis was laid upon the very -honorable record of the service, ns shown in a total enlistment of 7,529 men. That these, men performed valiant service was shown in the record of 111 decorations won by them. Tho decorations and tho branches of the service to which tho decorated men belonged at tho time of their enlistment wore: Victoria Cross, 1, bead office. 0.8. E., 2 traffic, 1 maintenance. D. 5.0., 2 traffic, 1 loco, branch, M.C., 5 traffic, 4 loco, branch, 2 stores, 1 in ainto n a nee. liar to M.G., 1 loco, branch. D.C.3L, 5 traffic, 5 loco, branch. M.M., 25 traffic. 29 loco, branch, 9 maintenance, 1 stores. Bar to 31.31., 2 traffic, 1 maintenance, 31.5. M., 4 traffic, 2 loco, branch, 2 maintenance. Croix de. Chevalier of the Legion of Honor {French), 1 loco, branch, Croix do Gu-crro (French), 1 traffic, I loco, branch. Croix do Guerre (Belgian), 1 traffic, 1 loco, branch. Order of Danilo (Montenegrin), 1 traffic. “The record: is a splendid one,” said the Prime 3linistcr. “It is one of which we. have every reason to bo proud, and one which will go down in history. Theso men wont to war and' gave their'lives for yon and for me. They gave their lives on behalf of liberty and freedom, but th ey never camo back to the country to which they belong, and to-day on our behalf their graves are scattered far and wide. They have paid' the price, and' it is for ns to see that their Jives were not given in vain.”