ALTON.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume XLII, Issue XLII, 26 April 1922, Page 5

ALTON.

6 I MONUMENT ITNVEILED. • ■ i AN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY. There was a large gathering at £he Alton School Grounds yesterday when the memorial service in connection with the unveiling of the monument to the Alton boys who fell in the Great War was held.. The ceremony, which was an impressive one, will no uoubt live long in the memories of those who were present. Around the base of the monument were placed several wreaths from relatives and-friends of the fallen, and one from the Patea Ladies' Patriotic League was worthy of special mention. Portions of the burial service were read by the Rev. H. B. Goertz, and several hymns were sung to the accompaniment of the Patea Brass Band. Prayer was also offered. Mr. J. Gibbs, senior, chairman of the Patea. County Council, in his opening remarks, said that it was a time of sadness and regret on which they were assembled togther—regret that the world should have been thrown into suah a struggle between men, sadness for the sufferings and privations of our soldiers in stopping the rush of the enemy, and sadness to think of those who were called upon to make the supreme sacrifice. The speaker likened the bravery of Qur soldiers to that of the ancient soldiers of Greece, and paid a tribute to the manner in which the men had upheld the traditions of our race at the front. He was pleased to see that so many people had attended to show that they appreciated the sacrifices that had been made. The monument was then unveiled by Mr. Dixon, M.P., who said he did so "to the brave men who had fallen and to the glory of God." The "Last Post" was then sounded. Mr. Dixon read aloud the following names, which are written on the monument: Ptes. Allen, H. L. Anderson, A. Gould, M. J. Hodge, G. Richards, P. R. Scown, G. Brewer, H. Derriman, K. Grant, W. G. McD'iarmid, M. G. Mitchell, J. Penzer, G. Taylor, and W. White. Mi*. Dixon said they were gathered together to pay tribute to those brave men who went forth at the call of Empire to defend the people of to-day and of the future. He would never forget those days when, as Mayor of Hawera, it was his privilege to say goodbye to the soldiers leaving that town. Some of the men returned, but there were those who did not. They had hoped they would be spared, but they realised that some could never return, and would make the supreme sacrifice. We wondered in these enlightened days why it was that they were called to fight. Surely there ought to be some better way of settling international difficulties-. However, our nation entered the conflict to defend smaller nations, and had right on her side. And we to-day, said the speaker, had our part to play in making this land a better one to live in. The sacrifices were worth while if we> all obeyed the call to do the right in spite of anything we might have to face. Mr. Dixon trusted that the men had not died in vain. The Rev. Mr. Watson stressed the fact that they were gathered together to do honour to the names which were on the memorial stone. They were men who recognised that all we held dear was in danger of going by the board if they did not respond to the call of Empire, and we know something of what it would have meant if the British Empire had not acted as it did. While many of the soldiers had not returned, there were many cases where only part of the man had come back —he referred to those who had returned injured for life and with shattered nerves. The speaker asked if we really considered that we were worth fighting for. Sometimes he felt afraid that we were not, for carelessness and indifference were common". Then we should remember to extend our sympathies to the women who were left at home. We talk about heroes that went to the war, but were there not heroines at home? In conclusion, Mr. Watson said he prayed that the names on the monument would not be forgotten, and that it might be said that the soldiers did not die in vain.