IN HONOUR OF HEROES.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 26 April 1928, Page 5

IN HONOUR OF HEROES.

TRIBUTES ON ANZAC DAY. IMPRESSIVE SERVICES IN LEVIN. LARGE PARADE OF RETURNED SOLDIERS. At the period of the shortening of days there comes as a reminder to the mature generation the analogy provided by the annual marking-off of the years of peace through the observance of Anzac Day, and it brings the hope that in the cycles of time the winters represented by periods of depression and unrest may not be so heavy as some which have left their scars upon the community, but that they will lead through trials and tests to summers of suc.h duration that all memories of war except those relating to heroism and sacrifice will be lost and the people of the whole world may with confidence acclaim ‘The piping times of peace.”

Much could be written of the gradual changes of character —individual, civic and national —that have developed during a decade of re-construction, and it might be shown without any specious motive that in this and many another civilised country the spirit of conciliation and forbearance has never been more in evidence than now. With the growth of this feeling, the honour due to the. sincerity of purpose manifested by those who bore arms in the Groat War, and the host of old and young of both sexes who supported them in their hours of stress, is more fully realised than ever. The day particularly set apart for this purpose has become . a national holy ' day—and the only day which is observed as such by the combined body of the people. Sacred days of the past have become with the majority mere festivals and occasions for recreation; but this one. is so intimately involved with the life of the race that it must figure on the calendar as a day of days to the 1 end of history.

The observance of Anzac Day in Devin yesterday was a token of the genuine regard in which the commemoration is held. The parade of returned soldiers was the largest seen for years, and the attendance of the public at the afternoon ceremonies left on doubt as to the whole-hearted interest of the town and the country-side in the proceedings. CEREMONY AT THE SCHOOL.

The weather in the morning was showery, and instead of parading in the playground the children were assembled in the largo apartment in the Infant School. •There was a good attendance of pupils aad. teachers, besides a number of parents, the chairman of the committee (Mr A. W. Hutchings) and Mrs Hutchings, and committeemen. The Headmaster ((Mr R. d. Foss) asked Mr Hutchings to take the chair, saying that this was the first opportunity which the school had had of receiving him as chairman of tin* committee.

After the opening verse of the Nation Anthem had oeen sung, the chairman briefly addressed the children, asking them what day they were honouring, to which they replied, “ Anzac Day.” He spoke of the expedition to Gallipoli of 13 years before, when a large body of men, among whom wen; the fathers and brothers of some of the younger generation, landed at Anzac Cove, with the object of marching on Constantinople. On that historic occasion many noble and heroic deeds were performed by the Australians and New Zealanders, and this gathering was asembled to perpetuate the memory of the. work they had done and the lights they had fought. The deeds which had been performed by the New Zealanders and their companions were to-day enshrined in the annals of the British Empire and in the history of the Great War. In this new country traditions were very few. This was necessarily so on account of the short time that New Zealand as a colonised country had been in existence. It therefore behoved them to celebrate Anzac Day and make it one of their traditions; it was worthy of being so celebrated. New Zealand as a country was not warlike; its people did not love war. He .supposed that, if a vote were taken, the majority of New Zealanders would be against war; but until there was eliminated from human nature the greed prevalent to-day, the lust for power, and the reckless ambition, he was very much- afraid that war was inevitabie. Therefore they had to be prepared to tight for themselves and for their country. With regard to tflie young men who had been sent away to tight, it was found that they won' held in very high esteem wherever they had travelled. During his tours of Great Britain, France, Italy and Belgium, he had found many evidences of this feeling, the people expressing themselves very warmly in their regard for the New- Zealand soldiers. The chairman then introduced Dr. Hunter, who was to give the Anzac Day address. Air Hutchings said he was sure that there w r as quite a numb*r of boys and girls who had met the Doctor, who had himself served in the

war. J)r. I hint i' r told the children that he bud not come with any new stories of the day they were celebrating. The jeipils were too young: to remember i,;uch about the war, but all of them could hear again the story of that great achievement the landing on Galp poll. On that, day men from New Zealand showed to the world in general their country’s ability to take its place as a nation and do the work of ~ nation. Dr. Hunter explained the derivation of the word Anzac, first 8 siting how an army was divided up into its main units. In August, 1914, there wont from New Zealand one complete division of .what was looked upon a i the country’s best and bravest men. They mot, in Egypt, a complete division of Australians, and the two were formed into an army corps, which was called the Australian and New Zealand Annv Corps. After many months of training in Egypt they were sent across to Gallipoli. He believed that the school possessed a very hue picture of the landing on the peninsula. This would give the pupils some idea of the amount of courage and diseip'iue required to enable those men to

get ashore and climb the steep, scrubcovered hills, with .rifles pointed at them from different parts and barbed wire as an obstacle. The landing party achieved its object that day, but many of its members were killed in doing so. Such an achievement could not be made without a great loss of lives; and that beach was known to the English-speaking world to-day as Anzac Cove, and the men who fought there were known 'as Anzacs. After the withdrawal from Gallipoli, some of the. men were sent to Palestine; they fough at Gaza and Bcersheba, and' did what was tried many centuries ago by the Crusaders —they captured Jerusalem. Many others were sent to Prance, where they experienced a long-drawn-out trench warfare; where many battles were fought and a great many lives lost. To-day they kept in memory ail those who fell or fought in the Great War. The Government had decided that this day should be set apart as a national memorial to the fallen. Many of his hearers would not remember the sadness that was spread through New Zealand when the first casualty lists were published in the papers; but they would now realise why this day was looked upon as a day when business activities should cease and when the people could visit the Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial and lay wreaths on it in token of the men who fell. There were many stories of heroism that could be recounted, and that, wore recounted each Anzac Day, and this was done in the hope that in years to come, when the mothers and fathers, brothers and sisters of the fallen, and the returned soldiers also, had all ceased to be, the good old tradition would be carried on and the|r successors would renew and keep aflame the memory of Anzac Day. (Applause). The Headmaster said they were very much indebted to Dr. Hunter for having come to the school and told them the story of the brave deeds of the men who went away from New Zealand and Australia. He thanked the Doctor for the way in which he had told that story and for the special message which he had given as to Hie kind of day that Anzac Day wa's and would be for many years. It was a holy da} —not a day for race meetings, football matches and the running of trains and opening of shops, banks and schools. It was rather a day when all the money-getting among the grownup people and the exercises among the children were put aside and their thoughts were turned only to the brave men who went to the War. It was ■just 13 years ago when the children were all assembled in the playgrounds and were told that some very bad news had come-—that among other men who had fallen for their country were some who had been their teachers. The teacher who had lost his life was still teaching the children, although he was not amongst them any more; lie was teaching them to be good, brave and manly. They would be reminded of this day for many years to come —long after he had ceased to be their headmaster —the boys would be reminded of how it was good to be true and manly, and the girls would be taught that it was good to be like nurses who went away to work side by side with the men in their noble duty. The Returned Soldiers'' Association would, in all probability, for many years to come get the boys and girls of the town to help it by selling poppies, as in past, years, in aid of the disabled men. This year, although the poppies had arrived rather late, lie understood that about £23 worth had already been sold. The poppies bad been made in New Zealand, and the proceeds would go to those returned soldiers who, when they had returned to the Dominion, found that, as a result of doing all that they could for the boys and girls, men and women oi; the country, they were in such a condition that they could not carry on their ordinary work in the ordinary way, and so required some special help. He" Imped that, as the children grew up, they would always do all they could for the returned soldiers, for a groat many of them still needed a very great deal of help. PUBLIC OBSERVANCE.

PROCESSION TO MEMORIAL AND ' SERVICE IN THEATRE.

Tlio afternoon was mild and clear of rain, and the public assembled early in the streets to watch the parade to the memorial. The procession started from the part of Oxford Street in front of the District High School, shortly before 2 o’clock. The Levin Band, under Conductor G. Lester, was in the lead, then followed the South African veterans and the returned soldiers from the Great War. Major G. D. Hamilton was in charge of the parade, of which Sergt.-Major Jennings was marshlal. The muster of soldiers was probably a record one for Anzac Day in Levin, numbering over 60. The route was through Oxford Street, Bath Street and Cambridge Street to the Public Gardens. The returned men lined up on the lawn facing the memorial, the publie and the Band occupying the western portion of the gardens. The address was delivered by the Rev. J. C. Davies, who said that the occasion brought to mind memories of comradeship in days that had gone by of faces that had gone and of voices that were still. Year by year the people assembled to do honour to the memory of those men; but he could not help' thinking that the old scenes and the feelings of comradeship must be growing dimmer as the years passed. In the stress of civilised life the men who had returned realised their individualism, and felt that the old comradeship was not present as they had hoped it would be. Might they not trust that the legacies left them bv those who had gone still survived, and should they not strive in the time of peace for that spirit of conciliation which they could put into their everyday actions, so that in the complexity of their modern life they could still keep that cheerfulness and comradeship which they knew when they were fighting for their country They came each year to lay down their tribute to those who had passed, feeling that, although those men had gone, they were yet speaking and their memory was always cherished. “May we never forget their cheer and com-

radeship and hrotherlincss in the days when you lived and fought and strove together, ” said Mr Davies, in conclusion.

While the Band played “The Garland of Flowers” the soldiers tiled around the memorial, and Major Hamilton deposited a wreath from the R.S.A. in honour of fallen comrades. It was a beautiful token in autumn flowers and golden foliage. There were many other handsome floral tributes, including one from the Levin District High School and another from the Ohau School. The thanks of the R.S.A. were extended to the children of the Levin School for selling poppies on behalf of the disabled men. PUBLIC MEMORIAL SERVICE.

The parade was re-formed and proceeded to the De Luxe Theatre, where the public service was held. The building was crowded, and the scene was an impressive one. The service opened with the singing of the National Anthem. This and the hymns were led by the Levin Choral Society, under its conductor, Mr Edwin Dennis, A.R.C.M., the theatre-full of people heartily joining in. There followed the hymn, “O God, Our Help in Ages Past,” and prayers were then read by the Rev. R. Crocket, the gathering saying the responses and joining in the Lord’s Prayer. After the hymn, “Brief Life Is Here Our Portion,” Captain Prowsq, of the Salvation Army, road the scripture lesson, which was Psalm 46, commencing “God is my refuge and strength.” The solo, “Be Thou Faithful Unto Death.” from “St. Paul” was sung by Mr Dennis, after which all sang Kipling’s Recessional, “God of Our Fathers, Known of Old.”

The address was given l)y the Rev. W. Beckett, who referred to the significance of Anzac Day as a day of remembrance. He said they were meeting irrespective of creed or class or social position. They were there as those who recognised that they were under an unpayable debt to the men who had given their lives for them, it would bo remembered how those men went away as one great brotherhood —it mattered pot from what class. Would to God, he 'said, that there was less of this class distinction now, this emphasising of class ami creed. The Government had wisely decided that on this day the people should pause and think. 'There was something more important than money-getting; there was the ideal of the spirituality-mind-ed man. In observing Anzac Day they gave themselves time -to think and to •pray. The things worth having would go from that nation that did not have time to pray and to think. This was the anniversary of the day when the Anzacs, in the grey light of an April morning, came upon the bare shores of Gallipoli. The whole of that campaign seemed to have been a huge mistake, but the men chose to obey the call to do or die. They had had to dig themselves in like so many rabbits in their warrens, but for mouths they held on as only supermen could hold on. Not only on Gallipoli’s nigged shores did the men of this country make a glorious name for themselves; iu every field in which they were called to do their duty they upheld the traditions of their country. They had had to undergo the worst of privations, though they had once loved comfort, which they had set aside in order that they might do their duty to God ami to their fellow men. The speaker told the story of an old veteran, who said, “By gad, I saw them all iu Gallipoli, iu France and Flanders, in Palestine; wherever they fought, I saw them all.” It was for some such vision that people prayed to-day.’ They did not want i o target those who had saved their homes and preserved their freedom, which they prized so much as Britishers. One dreaded to think - what might have conic if they had not built a rampart with their bodies, if they had not faced hell for their country’s sake. Hr Beckett reminded his hearers that many soldiers still bore the marks of the war. He also thought of. the mothers,, sisters and wives who sent away theii; dear ones, with aching hearts. He thanked God for the glorious womanhood which had taken such a noble part. Heroism:- always brought back a rich blessing to the people on whose behalf it was displayed. The Anzacs of to-day would tell the ai that there were other foes than those that bore the rifle and the sword; and it was necessary to fight those enemies which would rob their homes of their happiness —selfishness and sin, which must be overcome if this country would take the place iu history which God would have it take. In conclusion Mr Beckett extended his consolation to those who were bereaved in the war and expressed the hope that the lives of all would be made better by the memory of the sacrifices that had been entailed. The anthem “God so Loved 'he World” was sung by the Choral Society. Major Hamilton said he would like to thank the school children lor selling poppies on behalf of the R.S.A. fund for disabled soldiers. He also the ministers ■who had arranged and conducted the service; Mr Dennis and the Choral Society, and Mi G. Lester and the Levin Band, for the music; Sergeant-Major Jennings for attending to the returned soldiers’ graves in the Levin cemetery; and Mr H. jMeMillan for kindly placing the De Luxe Theatre at the Association’s disposal. It had been very pleasing to see so many men paying their tribute to their fallen comrades. This was the largest parade of returned men that he had seen during seven years’ residence in Levin, there having been over (12 on parade. The Last Post was sounded on the bugle by Kir G. Lester, the assembly standing; and the service came to a close with the Benediction, pronounced by the Rev. Mr Davies.

A service of the Methodist. Church was held in the Century A all last evening in memory of the fallen. The congregation was a large one; hymns suitable to the occasion were feelingly sung by the congregation and a full choir.' The address was given by the Rev. Wm. Beckett, and solos were rendered by Mrs r I. t. Gibson, Mr Fank Allen and Mr A. Mottorshead. The organist for the evening was Mr Jess White.

IN OTHER PLACES. < (Ev Telegraph—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, This Day. ( .The Anzac Day observance here was impressive as ever, over 10,000 taking part. The parade numbered 2393, including returned men, Cadets, Scouts, Guides and others. Wnitara, Inglewood and country townships also had ceremonies. | At the New Plymouth cemetery 260* wreaths were deposited at the soldiers’ plots. . The Poppy Day collection reached about £4OO. um t I REPLY TO KING’S MESSAGE. :

(By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, This Day.

On Anzac Day the Governor-Gener-al, Sir Chas. Fergusson, sent the fol-' lowing reply to llis Majesty's message:—“Your Majesty’s gracious mess- 4 age has been received with deep appreciation by the people of New Zealand, whose hearts are touched by the continued sympathy evinced by Your Majesty and the Queen with their - , feelings on this day of sacred remem-f brance. I bog to submit to Your Majesty an expression of their grateful thanks.—Charles Fergusson.” MAORI-PAKEHA MEMORIAL m UNVEILED. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) Mj GISBORNE, This Day. Two thousand people, Native and jd European, assembled at To Araroa, in. " the East Cape district, yesterday for j the unveiling of the war memorial, The Maoris prepared a groat feast for the occasion. A welcome was extend-Jj ed to the Hon. K. 8. Williams, Minister of Puplic Works and member for the Bay of Plenty. Sir A. T.Ngata * led a party of chiefs singing a Maori lament for the soldiers who failed to return Ao their hapus. Mr Williams,. | in replying, spoke in Maori, to the great delight of the Natives, and proceeded to unveil the memorial —a granite obelisk erected by the joint efforts of the Maoris and Pakehas in memory of the dead of both races. The dedication was preceded by a procession including 200 returned men. * An impressive Antfac Day service was held at the war memorial in Gisborne, there being a largo muster of * returned men, Territorials and the public- <