ANZAC DAY

Manawatu Standard, Volume LXI, Issue 124, 26 April 1941, Page 8

ANZAC DAY

COMMEMORATION SERVICE. IMPRESSIVE PARADE. Anzae Day was observed in the traditional manner yesterday, but this year there was attached to it a deeper significance in that while the memory of the Anzacs of the Great War was being honoured, the Anzacs arc once again in the firing line overseas; and it was not difficult to realise that they were prominently in the minds of all of those present. The parade in Palmerston North was a splendid spectacle and one that will Jive loug in the memory of those who saw it. In numbers approximately 2500. the parade bore the stamp of excellent organisation. It was under the command of Lt.-Col. G. S. Peren, and the parade adjutant was Lieut. J. Ryan. N.Z.P.S., to whom much credit must go.

Promptly at 2 o’clock, tlic parade moved off from a point near the Opera House and arrived at the Showgrounds within two minutes of the scheduled time. The route was along Church Street, a turn through the Square past the War Memorial where members of the Legion of Frontiersmen stood on guard, thence to Rangitikei Street and Cuba Street. ith the Garrison Rand at their head, the parade was led by the reI turned soldiers. Then came the Manawatu Mounted Rifles, Bth Medium battery N.Z.A., Wellington-West Coast Regiment, 2nd Hawke’s Bav Regiment, 12th National Reserve Company, Manawatu Scottish Society’s Pipe Band, No. 0 Works Company, N./.E., 2nd Field Ambulance, High School and Technical School Cadet companies, the City Band, Homo Guard, AYomeirs AYar Service Auxiliary, Auxiliary Service Corps, St. John Ambulance, and Red Cross units. Iho outstanding feature of the | parade was the number of women who J took part. The AN ar Service Auxiliaries looked particularly smart in their uniforms, and their general bearing and attractive marching drew a good deal of favourable comment. The ambulancedrivers, in navy blue overalls, came in for special attention. The Red Cross and St. John Ambulance Brigade were also strongly represented. II the parade da! nothing else it focussed attention on the magnificent effort being made bv the women of this city to play their part in the groat struggle. Those nil parade, with the exception of the National Reserve, were accommodated in the main grandstand at the Showgrounds. where the Mayor and Mayoress (Mr and Mrs A. 'F. Mansford) and members of the City Council and their wives were also seated, lie arrangements worked well and there was no undue delay. GRATITUDE AND PRIDE.

T lie commemoration service was opened by a prayer of invocation by liov. ,1. Hubbard, after which “God Defend New Zealand” was sung. Following a Scripture reading, the hymns Kipling’.s “JU'cession-al” and “All People That on Earth do Dwell.” a prayer of commemoration and the Lord’s Prayer, Canon D. J. Davies, of Wellington (formerly vicar of St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Terrace End) delivered an address.

Canon Davies stated that we romcmhered with deep gratitude the sacrifices of the Anzacs of 1914-1 S with something akin to hopelessness, lor these had apparently all been in vain. I liey had won t(it* Great War and endeavoured to make the world safe tor a Democracy that was firmly and finally to establish the principles of justice and freedom among the nations so that henceforth war would be unthinkable; and in less'than 25 years we were at war again. “Is mankind doomed periodically to war, so that every generation must sacrifice men and destroy the fruits of its own skill and thought, so that the world must grow steadily poorer until the very hope and possibility of a decent world order will vanish and civilisation perish ?” asked Canon Davies. “Tn every community there were elements of law and order and progress, but there was also disruption and anarchy and these were engaged in ceaseless conflict. 6aid Canon Davies. “Greed, cruelty, and ambition cannot lie defeated in one battle once and for all. Their menace must be constantly resisted. Peace is not the repose of inactivity, nor the reward of idleness. It is a state of affairs in which the disruptive forces must be duly checked.

“The spirit of Anza-c is something to lie .remembered, not something to be praised but emulated. Those men are calling on us to meet the tasks of peace. The price of peace is eternal vigilance. "Wo can proudly claim that when at last the tragedy of war came, we arose to meet it in a splendid way. The endurance shown by the peorde of England amazes the world, while the fighting qualities of H'eir troops wins the admiration of all. The surviving men of Anzac must lie thrilled and proud to-day to know that their sons are displaying the Anzac spirit and emulating their feats overseas. The spirit of Anzac is not dead; it is as vigorously as ever fighting the enemies of freedom and justice. Our unpreparedness gives our enemies enormous advantages which they arc exploiting to the full. Our immediate task in the days to come is to meet this grim situation in the real Anzac spirit, displaying the same sturdy qualities as characterised the Anza.es of the last war. That spirit is unconquerable. “We. must prove worthy of these men.” concluded Canon Davies. “They won’t fail us ; God forbid that we should fail them. We must he as ready as they are to make sacrifices, to bear hardships and to face dangers. There were dark days in the Great War when all seemed lost, but the men of Anzac never faltered. There will be darJc days yet in this war, and again the men of Anzac will not falter. Neither will we.” The hymn “O God Our Help in Ages Past” was followed by Benediction and the National Anthem. Ser-geant-Bugler B. ' Walls, of Foxton Camp, sounded the Last Pod and Reveille. and a memorable service concluded with the National Reserve and the Pipe Band forming a guard while five High School buglers and the band played “The Retreat.” MORNING CEREMONY. At the War Memorial in the morning, there was a parade of the Manawatu Scottish Society and the Legion of Frontiersmen. The Pipe Band played the lament, “The Flowers of the Forest,” and an address was given by the Rev. J. Hubbard W reaths were placed on the memorial ! by the Pipe Rand. Legion of Frontiersmen, the Home Guard and representatives of the Boy Scouts, Cubs and Girl Guides’ organisations. Throughout the day many beautiful floral tributes were laid at the base of the memorial and large numbers of people paid visits to see these. Pride of place was occupied by a wreath deposited by the Mayor on behalf of the citizens, while among others from various organisations were tributes from tlie Palmerston North R.S.A., the Manawatu Patriotic Society. Women’s War Service Auxiliary, and the various schools. In addition, there were many beautiful wreaths from individual citizens. Appropriate services were held in tbo secondary and primary schools on

Thursday. ROYAL MESSAGE The heroism of New Zealanders who fought in the G'cat War, and also that of the men at present fighting in the Middle East and the Balkans, is referred to in an Anzac Day message received by the . Governor-General, Sir Cyril Newall, from His Majesty the King. His Excellency has forwarded an appropriate reply.’ Messages have also been received from Lord Birdwood, General Sir Alexander Godlev and by the New Zealand R.S.A. from the New Zealand Forces in Fiji. Those have been reciprocated.