An Address of Welcome To Men on Furlough

Northland Age, Volume XII, Issue 44, 12 August 1943, Page 2

An Address of Welcome To Men on Furlough

'l' R. Beazley at Victoria Valley In his .udress at the Welcome Home given at Victoria Valley to the men on furlough (a report which appeared in our last issue) Mr. R. Beazley said in part: “I esteem it a great honour to be on this stage tonight to welcome back to their homeland our members of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and to pay tribute to the gallant part they have played in this war. This night is a time of great rejoicing for us in this district, of deep emotion. If I falter in my speech, I would find strength in your sympathetic understanding. “Ours is not a war of conquest, but a war of just retribution —to free the conquered and ravished countries overrun by the Axis hordes—in fulfilment of a solemn promise, given unto them by our inspired leader, Mr. Winston Churchill. When the drums of war beat out the call -to arms you men heard and answered the call, and, forsaking all that life held dear, inspired by the noble traditions of Anzac, snatched with eager hands, the torch held out to you by the First N.Z.E.F.—the sacred torch of Freedom, Justice, Liberty and honour. “In this hall we honoured you in your going; we have honoured the few who have returned, broken in j health; but never before has it been j our privilege to honour a body of fit men back from the theatre of war J after three and half years of bitter conflict, for the well-earned respite I so richly deserved. At this moment let us too remember the Fallen—those that paid the supreme sacrifice—let us honour our Dead. We would extend to those bereaved, our heartfelt sympathy, and hope that Time the great healer will deal kindly with them, and the years bring comfort and quiet understanding to their minds. “All through those long years, we at home have watched with eager interest your every movement; Lybia, Greece, Crete. Lybia again, and again. Our faith in you was steadfast. and in ur anguish we prayed “O God How !<■'.!■ We esteemed you second - "illy you had the tool; our hands. In the early .. ours was an impossible task, io of that baptism of fire you emerged supreme. Then your great hour came. Out of the darkest hour, with the Axis horde almost at the Eastern gates, and our sacred torch but just a flickering spark. The tide was turned. Out of that seeming defeat, you hurled him back. Man for man. Gun for gun. Plane for plane, Tank fi i nk, his superior. These aie the men who smiled grimly in adversity, laughed in the face of death, endured, and carried on steadfast to victory. “I would say to you, Ladies and Gentlemen, let us see to it, that we too, play our part in word and thought and deed that we be worthy of their sacrifice. I would say to the younger generation, “Fail not these men, in the long dark hours that lie ahead. Help them bear the torch, that you too shall share their everlasting glory.”