AT HOME

Evening Star, Issue 22632, 26 April 1937, Page 14

AT HOME

SERVICE IN ST. PAUL’S CATHEDRAL LONDON, April 25. (Received April 26, at 11.15 a.m.) St, Paul’s was packed for the Anzac service by ticket-holders, among whom were hundreds of Anzacs ftom all parts of the United Kingdom, and dozens of war widows and mothers. All those who were bemedalled had seats beneath the dome. The service had a decidedly military flavour, with martial hymns, the congregational singing of which was full-throated. Mr Bruce and Mr Jordan read the -lessons. In an eloquent sermon Canon P. E. James, of Wellington, whose text was ‘ ‘ Guiae our feet into the _ way of peace,” commented on the coincidence that thp Gallipoli landing in which New Zealanders and Australians received their baptism of war, also happened on a Sunday, when the young warriors tried in the fire vyere pot found unworthy of the 1 race from which they sprang and' the lands which gave them birth.

The procession which formed up outside St. Paul’s after the service presented a fine spectacle as it proceeded to the Cenotaph, headed by the band of the Welsh Guards, Then followed the Australian Coronation contingent, the New Zealand contingent, the Royal Naval Division, the Twenty-ninth Division, and Australian and New Zealand ex-servicemen. The numbers astonished Londoners, who had no idea until now that Australia and New Zealand were so well represented here. At the Cenotaph the Royal Marines’ buglers sounded the ‘ Last Post,’ then followed the placing' of wreaths by Sir Archdall. Parkhill, Mr Jordan, Fieldmarshal Sir William Birdwood, General Sir lan Hamilton, Admiral Sir Roger Keyes, and, -others, after which the ‘Reveille ’ was sounded.

The contingents formed up and marched' past Sir lan Hamilton, who took the salute. Later, representatives of the contingents were entertained at luncheon by the British Empire Service League at the expense of the overseas troops entertainment fund at Steerman’s Hotel, Westminster. Fieldmarshal Lord Milne (chairman, of the league) presided. He recalled that “ Anzac ” was now a word in the English language. He regretted that the dominion troops attending the Coronation were less numerous than when the Australians and New Zealanders came in their thousands to ensure their King remaining on his throne. Lieutenant-colonel Bernard Myers represented the High Commissioner of New Zealand at the Anzac service in St. Church, Walton-on-Thomes, and deposited a wreath of Flanders poppies.