WAR MEMORIAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 29 October 1925, Page 10

WAR MEMORIAL.

—? UNVEILED AT WAVEIILEY. an HISTORIC OCCASION. The last i>ublic function performed by the Prime Minister (Hon. J. G. c'oates) this side of Wanganui was the unveiling of the handsome memorial, combining the practical witli the artistic, erected by the people of »\ aveiLey to the memory of the men of the district who fell m the Great AYar The loyalty of the young men is well shown by the number of names on the granite base of those who paid the supreme sacrilice. . , . The stately edilice reared on the historic site ot the old-time V airoa Redoubt takes the form of a stone tower, set in rather straight, plain lines, and bearing near its apex a fine striking clock with its faces to each cardinal point of the compass. Its everyday use, besides being valuable to the people, will serve to remind them of the sacrifice made by their young men on oehaff of home and Empire. Nothing more fitting could have been chosen, and its focation is most appropriate, an historic site,- one which is passed and repassed every day by the people m the ordinary course of their daily »vork. rteiore the appointed hour, II o clock, people began lo arrive, and at tne uour there was a crowd of several hunureds gathered about and round tne clock tower. The school children weie marshalled promptly on time, a number or tne girls carrying beautiful wreaths, and when all were placed there was a tniii line of youngsters tliree deep behind the tower, while at the right-hand side were paraded returned soldiers to the number of about 60 under Lieut. Johnston, ana the Territorials weie aiso paraded under Lieuts. 11. . Har,ev and Tilley and Sergeant-Major Mahoney, in "charge was Major Bre inner, of the headquarters staff at Hatvera. , . . - To the right front, in a place ol honour, were four veterans —Messrs »v. Robertson (aged 91), Gault Dickie 88, Adam Wilkie 76 and Alex. Dickie 72 an aggregate of 327 years. These four are the sole survivors of the band of irregulars, -the Wairoa Rifles, who erected the redoubt in 1868. Drawn up on the steps in front were the Waverley Boy Scouts under Scoutmaster Dabourne, who formed a guard of honour, and through whose ranks passed the Prime Minister and lus

party. The inscription on the front tablet is as follows: “For God and humanity. They whose names are inscribed hereon, men of this district, laid down their lives in the Great War/ 1914-1918.’ The names of the fallen are: Ptes. J. Anderson, F. Bason, E.. L. Belton, J. T. Bennett, Sgt. A. S. Boyer, Pte. R. VV. Campbell, Tpr. G. Cleary, Sgt. J. {J. Dalton, Sgt. F. Cormack, M.M., Pte. G. Ellis, Sgt. E. Elmslie, Major J. McG. Elmslie,- Pte. H. Fesch, Tpr. ‘V. R. Hicks, Pte. Hiroti R-angi, Lieut. H. J. Hall, Ptes. C. Howie, R. PJohnstone, C. P. Johnston. J. land, H. Kreger, J. S. Laidlaw, Lieut. D. B. McDonald, Sgt. C. T. McDonald, Pte. E. E. Matthews, Sgt. F. C. Matthews, M.M.. Ptes. Wm. O’Connell, S. TC. O’Connell. T. E. Partridge, J. Boss, F. J. Reid. Sgt. S. Sorachan, D.C.M., Ptes. L. Tucker, AY. AVhite. J. AVillany, T. C. AA r ood. And below them are the words: “Erected to the fallen citizens in proud and loving memory and as a thanksgiving that such men were of their number.” THE CEREMONY. Grouped in front with the Prime Minister were Mr. J. R. Corrigan, iVI.P., Mr. A. J. Adlam, chairman of the memorial committee, Air. R. P. Palmer, chairman of the Town Board, Revs. J. Kelly and E. Dabourne (of Marton, and formerly of A\ T averley), Members of the memorial committee

were also present, namely, Messrs A. E. Symes, G. McGregor, W. H. Watkins, C. J. Belton, and F. Johnston t,hon. secretary). Alter the singing of the National Anthem, Mr. Adlam, in a few short and fitting phrases, welcomed the Prime Minister. lie said that the

gathering was for the formal unveiling of the memorial, which had been perAape a long time coming. He was pleas'ed Mr, Coates was able to be present on an occasion which, though eery fitting, caused a tinge of regret that it was necessary to record the death in the war of so many of Waver, ley’s finest sons. Then followed the reading of a portion of Scripture from Revelations, chap. VII, 1# Rev. J. Kelly, a. prayer by Rev. E. Dabourne, the hymn “O God our help,” and a stirring address oy Rev. D. Mclvor. He spoke on the call of duty that took so many of our best to the war when the S.O.S. went up from the Mother Country, and the wonderful reputation in and behind the lighting line made by the men of the Dominion who responded to the call for the sake of home, of country, and of God. In giuvpliic language he depicted their departure and, alas, the fall of so many on the field of battle; but they left behind them a memory and a reputation for bravery and unquenchable heroism which will never die. He then told of the address made by the commander of the Paris garrison, a distinguished French general, to a company of French soldiers, in which he picked out as the best and bravest during the war the New Zealanders under General Andrew Russell, and told of their wonderful prowess that stemmed the Hun rush in the fateful days of March. 1918, when the line was broken and the Fifth Army fell hack It was a dramatic episode recalled when the French general said the question was asked: “Qui sont ces homines?” and the answer came hack: “Les homines de Nouvelle Zelande,” and the fleeing French peasants said, ‘‘Tout est bien,” and they went' back to their homes knowing that with the New Zealanders there they were safe from the Huns. It was altogether a striking tribute from our allies, and by i man who had seen, apd therefore knew. The address was listened to with close attention.

At its close there was a short recitation by- one of the school children; following by. the same in unison by them all, and the singing of a patriotic verse. /

Mr. J. R. Corrigan, M.P., then introduced Mr. Coates, who, he said, had spared time in the midst of a busy political campaign to oome to AVover!ey and perform this ceremony. While, said Mr. Corrigan, all thought of the dead, he trusted that they would not forget the living, the dependents or those who had fallen. Mr. Coates had come at a very busy time, and it was fitting that lie should he here, because few men had made a better record, having served his country and won distinction on the field of battle, and therefore knowing what men had suffered in those dark days. He had therefore the greatest pleasure in asking Mr. Coates to perform the ceremony of unveiling the. memorial. Mr. Coates, after expressing liis sense of the. honour conferred on him, of being asked to take part in the ceremony of doing honour to those boys who have fallen in,, the Avar, said that while sentiment must enter into such functions, he considered it a stern

duty on all to be present :at such gatherings. There could, he added, be no better setting than that which the committee had given—the school chil, dren, the .Boy Scouts, the- splendid monument, and everything just as it should be. All must appreciate the fact that, being on the Wairoa redoubt, it was an instance- bf history making further history. It was necessary' tor the people to appreciate the fact that Maori as well as pakelia took his part in the war, and that no one was more prompt and ready to enlist than the men of the Maori race, and when the call came men from twelve i thousand miles away stood shoulder to ! shoulder, Maori and pakeha, to prove to the world that they were out in the cause of King and country. Long may it continue, he added. He paid a fine tribute to the address given by Mr. Mclvor, one of the finest that he had had the privilege of hearing, expressfll cr as it did in eloquent style the honour paid to New Zealanders by a general of the French nation. In interesting way lie then sketched the position in March, 1918, as it appeared to him and to all those boys vrom New Zealand who were privileged to take part in the movement that checked the Huns in their great onrush ; how the New Zealanders\were just about to go out of the line when the news came of the breaking of the line, and the orders given to New Zealanders to go up and stay the onset at all oasts. How they did the , job was now history, and it was, he said, very fitting and appropriate that the French general should speak of the men from New Zealand as he had done. While they -sorrowed at the loss ot their dear ones, they would not have it otherwise, for it was their great sac T rifice- and they would ieel that they had given of their very best for the sake of the nation and the Empire.

It was, lie continued, the people’s duty to .see to it that the high ideals for ‘ which they fought were upheld, and to make sure also that the depenuants of the men who fell and the men wounded or, injured as the result of the war were looked after, and if cases were known of need they should be reported and every endeavour would he triad© to giv© as.sistanc©. He referred to the fact that Britain was always a nation that did not want war at any time and stressed the value of the great conference at Lovarno and the pact made between France, Germany, Btelgiuni, Cze cho-Slov aki a and Great Britain, undertaking that as far as possible war should be made impossible and arbitration enter into all disputes between nations a good principle in .settling differences. But this did not mean, he said, that the nation could afford to neglect means ol defence and New Zealand must have the organisation to resist attack and to help the Country in case of extreme need. “No one wants war, but you cannot let the other fellow run rough shod over you,” he said. No extravagant scheme of defence was required, but the necessary organisation for putting up a defence. And the same with the navy. New Zealand must contribute to keep up the services which would protect the freest constitution in the world and to see to it as the years went by that they were always ready to protect the freedom of the people.

In conclusion, he said lie wished to congratulate these who had organised the arrangements for the unveiling ceremony to 'do honour to the men who had fallen. He assured them that he liad never been present at such a ceremony where better or more fitting arrangements had been made, .and he felt certain there was a military mind behind the arranging of the ceremony. He assured them that nothing was more fitting than to have the monument, which had been erected on the site of the old \Y;ii roredoubt, wlie»e it- would bo for all timo romindor of the debt the country owed to those men from Waverley district who had triven all for their country. , . ° The firing party, under Sergt, -Major Mahoney, then fired three volleys and the latter sounded the appropriate p-osts on the bugle while little girls brought up and deposited their wreaths of remembrance at the base of the tower. , ~ The Prime Minister then drew aside the Union Jack from the tablet on which were inscribed the names of the fallen men, and thus completed the formal ceremony. He then inspected Hhe firing party and complimented the Sergt.-Major on the appearance of the men and the way in which they had done their part. As a reminder of the part taken by the children a half-holiday was granted to the school at the request of-the Prime Minister. It will be of interest to the people to know that the memorial cost- in all about £lßoo—for the concrete tower £I4OO and for the clock £4f)0 —and .that

this, price was raised by public subscription in the Waverley district. It was interesting to see at the gathering and to. meet afterwards tour of the men who helped to build the old Wairoa Redoubt, all looking, well and fit after the lapse of close on sixty years since the stirring days of the Maori war. There never was fignting at the redoubt, but it was a fine means of defence had it been necessary. A walk round the square enclosed with one of the veterans elicited tlio information that the redoubt; was al earth built, very strong anu thick ami able to resist, practically any attack The walls were seven feet high and the ditch all round about eight feet ueep, with a round house at each corner, ad loop-holed against attack, controlling possible directions. At the back uas the draw-bridge, to be pulled up eve.y night, and on the other side ,near the present road, was situated the 100 k house It was a well built, self-con-tained structure, well fitted lor its pur--1 At the conclusion of the ceremony and before the Prime Minister left for Wanganui, Marion and Feildmg, to continue his campaign, lie was entertained at luncheon by the committee. A, cordial welcome was given him by the acting chairman of the iow n Board and his health was drunk with enthusiasm. • „ Mr Coates briefly replied, thanking the board for the honour it- had done him and assuring it that he would not soon forget his visit to Waverley and his part in the historic ceremony. As the Prime Minister’s car pulled away along the street his admirers sped him on his way with musical honours .and hearty cheers, and thus an eventful and interesting day terminated . __