MEMORIAL TABLET.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLIII, Issue 1706, 22 December 1919, Page 7

MEMORIAL TABLET.

LATE CAPTAIN HARRY PALMER.

At All Saints' Church yesterday a memorial' tablet to the late Captain Harry Palmer, who lost his life in the war, was unveiled. Tho ceremony took place at tho 11 o'clock, service in the presence of a large congregation. The service was conducted by the vicar (Rev. H. G. iilackburno), and there were special prayers and appropriate hymns, the latter including "On the Resurrection Morning" and "For ever with the Lord." Tho front seats in tho church close to the memorial tablet were occupied by Colonel Molvill, Officer Commanding the district, and members of the Defence Staff, the Mayor (Mr J. A. Nash, M.P.), members of tho Veterans' Association, returned soldiers, and members of the Mounted Rifles. The tablet had been erected in the wall, and was covered with a miniature Union Jack, while on the wall above was suspended another Union Jack.

Tho unveiling ceremony itself was simple, appropriate, and hnpressivo, Colonel Morvill drawing the cords that kopt the Jack over the tablet while the congregation stood in the deepest silence, facing the visible token of tho respect felt for the memory of the departed soldier. The tablet, which is of polished brass, bears the'following inscription:—"To tho glory of God and in loving memory of Captain Harry Thomas Palmoi, 6th Manawatu Mounted Rifles, Main Body, N.Z.E.F., who died on tho hospital ship Gascon at sea, 15th July, 1915; aged 43 years. 'He gave his life that ! others might live.' " ! Tho Vicar (Rev. H. G. Blackburne) I delivered a short discourse, taking as his text the first verse of the 12th chapter of Hebrews: "Wherefore, seeing wo also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us." He said that he had three thoughts that morning in connection with the commemoration to those who bad given their lives in the great war. Tho first was the great I incentive that every thought of their I sacrifices should be to those who regained. They had fought for great I principles, and the best way that ap--1 preciation could be shown of what they bad done was by making sacrifices for the Empire for which these men had given so much. Just as those taking part in fights and races were spurred on by witnesses, so should they be 1those* who bad gone before them, and thev should emulate them by making sacrifices for their country and their fellow men. His second thought was that those who had departed in thefaith and fear of the Lord were still in close touch with them. Let them not think that those who had departed were altogether cut off from them; they were still part of the great Church of Christ. Some of them would remember the late Prince Imperial, who lost his life in the Zulu war. and in whose papers was found an interesting prayer in which ho expressed the idea that the incentive of those who had died should remain with the living, and tho conviction that the dead were witnesses of our actions. And his last thought was that the great festival of Christmas was glorious with a message. to those who bad boon bereaved: it was tho message of One Who came from Heaven fo share our pains and troubles, and Who had a fellow fee in a with us-the knowledge that God bad been amongst us as a man and con Id sympathise with us. while as God Ho could straighten out our troubles. As God He had opened to us the lite eternal and instead of Christinas being a time of sorrow to those bereaved, lot them look on the lives given as those who had seen the vision.