MEMORIAL UNVEILED.

Manawatu Times, Volume XLII, Issue 1782, 7 April 1921, Page 6

MEMORIAL UNVEILED.

GLEN OROUA HONOURS HEROES

(By Our Special Reporter.)

There are few districts, even in this country, which responded so nobly to the cause of Empire In proportion to population as the district of Glen Oroua. Sandwiched in between Kongotea and Talkorca, it consists of only nine square miles of thinlypeopled rural country, and yet it was able to send no less than 29 of its young men to strike a blow for freedom and justice. Yesterday, the appreciation of those whose duty it was in that stressful period, to “stand and wait,” was expressed in a tangible form by the unveiling in the school grounds of a memorial to (here who went "to tight and those who fell in the great cause of King, country and Empire. Some time ago a public meeting was called to discuss ways and means of erecting a memorial, and from that a committee, consisting of Messrs H. J. Lancaster (chairman), J. Boyce, C. Massey, J. W. Hamlin, A. Train and D. Young, was appointed to actively canvass the district for subscriptions to the memorial fund. So successful were their efforts that the memorial was soon in course of erection in front of the school. A marble pillar, inscribed with the names of the Glen Oroua men who went to serve, simple in design and for that reason the more effective, it stands to-day, an emblem of sacrifice, pregnant with a meaning that all who pass along the road may read, and reading, call to mind the gallant men who stood by the Empire In her hour of need.

The inscription on the pillar reads: “The following are the names of those of this district who served in the great war, 1914-1918: —Q.M. Sergt. Gilmore R. B. Boswell, Scrgts. Walter Boswell, Leslie J. Hopping, Thomas Lawlor, Hector McMillan, Corporal William C. Hopping, Lance-Corporal Horace R. Harre, Rifleman Walter S. Hopping. Troopers Percy R. P. Larsen, Rupert A. Larson, Privates W. P. Marshall, Ernest L. Spiers, H. E. Tallott, lan Anion, Lewis Clark, Arthur Clements, Edgar Cornwall, Edgar Cornelius, Robert Christie and Edward Hopping. Killed in action: Lieut. Walter C. Gibbs, Corporal Victor W. Pearce (M.M.), Lance-Corporal Innes Kinzett, Riflemen Frank Hamlin, Albert Kinzett and William A. Ward, Bertram F. Hopping and Joseph Smith. Died in camp: Private William Young. Their name liveth for evermore.”

A large number of residents of the district and visitors attended at the school yesterday to take part in the unveiling ceremony, the visitors including - Mr E. Newman, M.P., Lt.-Col. J. H, Whyte, D. 5.0., Chief Staff Officer of the Wellington Military District, and Mr B. J. Jacobs, president of the local branch of the Returned Soldiers’ Association. All the pupils of the school were present, under their headmaster (Mr A. Train). The proceedings opened with the singing of the National Anthem. Mr H. J. Lancaster, in asking Mr Newman to unveil the memorial, said it was gratifying to see such a large and representative gathering. The proposal to erect this stone was first started at a public meeting, at which it. had been decided to canvass the district for voluntary contributions. Practically the whole of the money had now come in, and the remainder, which had been promised, would come Co hand shortly. Not one penny of the money raised had been secured by means of entertainments or in similar ways.

Mr E. Newman, M.P., expressed the deep sense of honour he felt at being asked to unveil the memorial. He regarded this function as being one of the most important and unique which had occurred in the district, and one which in all human probability would never again occur in the lifetime of these present. The monument they were about to unveil represented the effort of the people of Glen Oroua to place on record in a substantial and permanent manner their appreciation of the services of the young nien who at the call of duty went to the front in the great war. It was not possible to place on record* their feelings as they entirely existed, because no monument of their’s could do that, but they could bring something into existence that would for generations to come show what they thought of the young men who responded to the call in their time. Over 100,000 men of this country had responded to the call, and of these 17,000 would never come back. > When they looked at- that memorial it would remind them not only of the men from the district who fell, but of the whole 17,000 who were the flower of the Nejv Zealand manhood, just as all the other men who fell were the pick of the Empire. No memorial was needed for any adult to remind them of those who went away, but those erecting such memorials wore thinking of the children and the future generations. “I would like to say,” said Mr Newman, ‘‘how extremely glad I am to see so many children here. This memorial is intended for them and for those who came after them. I hope that they will remember that the boys and girls of this generation when the occasion came to fight for liberty and justice and the maintenance of tolerance and righteousness in the Empire, were willing to go and fight and, if need be, give up their lives.” It was peculiarly appropriate, continued the speaker, that the memorial was placed in the school grounds, where daily association with it would enable the children t 8 assimilate the lesson it was intended to teach. The only true memorial, however, was , sometiling less substantial but as lasting as life, the memorial they kept in their minds and hearts. While the state of affairs since the war had ended had been a keen disappointment to many, he believed that eventually out of discontent and chaos good must come, and a higher and purer state of life eventuate. New Zealand had done her best for the returned men and was quoted all over the Empire as an example of what should be done. It was very .gratifying to know that the Government intended to assist the soldiers who were oppressed by the present hard times to carry out their engagements to the best advantage. In speaking of the loss sustained by the relatives of those avho had fallen, the speaker said that deep down in the hearts of the people was a feeling of unbounded sympathy for those who had lost sons, brothers and fathers in the war. He then unveiled the memorial with the words, ‘'To the glory of God and in memory of the brave men who went to and fell in the, war.” Rev. B. R. White then dedicated the memorial to God, and the children sang the New Zealand National Anthem. The next speaker was Lt.-Gol. Whyte, who said that the memorial would he a continuous reminder to those whose relatives and friends had fallen, that though they had paid a big price to keep tjic flag flying, that

sacrifice had not been in vain. He was pleased to sec beside the names of those who had fallen the names of the men who had returned, and he impressed upon them their duty towards the returned men. lie paid a tribute to the parents, and especially to the mothers of the boys, who went away. He urged upon those present that while we had •settled down, and we lived in the hope that war would not again occur, the only way to prevent it was to be prepared. If we were strong we would not Ire attacked and the way to guard against further wars was to bo prepared by our defence schemes. Colonel Whyte’s speech was followed by the recessional, “God of Our Fathers,” and further addresses were given by Mr It. J. Jacobs and Rev. T. Halliday. The ceremony concluded with the singing of Ibo hymn, “O God Our Help in Ages Past.”

Afterwards tire visitors were entertained at afternoon tea by Mr and Mrs A. Train,