BAILLEUL WAR MEMORIAL.

Hawera Star, Volume XLV, 4 November 1925, Page 8

BAILLEUL WAR MEMORIAL.

FRENCH AND BRITISH MEET

TOWN OF MANY MEMORIES

Baiileul, a little town well remeniIjered by every New Zealand soldier who served in Flanders, has been the scene of an interesting ceremony when British and French met again to commemorate their sufferings during the war. The occasion was the unveiling of the monument which has been erected to the inhabitants of Baiileul, soldiers and civilians, who were killed either in action or during bombardments of the town. Baiileul has been adopted by the city of Bradford, and the Lord Mayor of Bradford (Mr J. H. Palin), who i.s the Labour M.P. for Newcastle-on-Tvne (West), and a delegation of city councillors had accordingly been invited to be present at the ceremonies.

The monument was unveiled in the presence of a large number of the inhabitants and delegations of many societies, such as the League of Former Prisoners of War, the Society of the Orphans of the War. etc. The monument stands on the site of the Church of St. Amand, which was destroyed during the war, and is a copy of the ruined belfry and tower of the Church of St. Yaast as they stood after the bombardment. On a -plaque on the face of the monument is inscribed the army order which recalls that Baiileul was twice occupied by the Germans and was totally destroyed by violent bomba rdmen t.

The ceremonv was very impressive. After a bugle had sounded the “Card’ a vous.” a signal was given and bonfires were lit on the hills which surround the town. The Mayor then called the roll of the dead, and after each name the Orphans of the War responded “Mori pour la Patrie.” There had been a religious ceremony at the monument in the ed by the British delegation, which had previously visited the French and British cemeteries in company with the Mayor of Baiileul and the members of the Municipal Council.