ANZAC DAY IN LONDON.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 16214, 27 April 1916, Page 8

ANZAC DAY IN LONDON.

'ABBEY, MEMORIAL SERVICE KING AND QUEEN ATTEND, SOLDIERS ENTERTAINED. MEN CHEER GEN. BIRDWOOD. (Received April 2G, 8.45 p.m.) London, April 25. The Anzac Day memorial service in Westminster Abbey was attended by Their Majesties the King and the Queen, who travelled from Windsor in an open carriage. The King wore khaki, and the Queen was dressed in mourning. The weather was brilliantly fine, and the- enormous crowds which thronged the streets gave a great ovation to the Royal party. Thousands of people thronged Westminster. Their Majesties were received at the west door by tho Dean and Chapter of West' minster. The route of the procession to the Abbey was crowded. The fine physique of tho colonials attracted the attention of all spectators, i Tho New Zealanderß were headed by a St. Bernard mascot. The Maoris received an especially warm greeting. The service was of a simple character, as described in a previous cable message. It opened with Walsham Low's hymn, and after Wesley's anthem "Ascribe Unto the Lord" bad been rendered, the dean, Dr. H. E. Ryle, pronounced a eulogium on the. heroic dead. After the singing of Kipling's " Recessional" and the Benediction, the " Last Post" rang out from fifteen bugles. Representative Congregation. The congregation was highly representative of the State and the • Army. Among those present weres members . of the Cabinet, Lord Kitchener, General Sir William Birdwood and. - Lady . Birdwood, Prince "Alexander, Prince Louis of Battunberg, Sir William Robertson* General W. R. Maxwell, Sir lan Hamilton, Ivord Plunket, the Archbishop of Canterbury, tho Lord Mayor of London, Sir Thomas and Lady Mackenzie, Mr. and Mrs. W. M. Hughes, Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Fisher, "Sir George Reid, and many other overseas representatives. The Prime "Minister and several other members of the Cabinet were unable to attend, owing to Irish affairs. King's Solicitude For Wounded. Many wounded men on stretchers attended, and the King, on departing, stepped aside into the transepts and shook hands with them and spoke cheering words. The wreaths i included those from Australia and New Zealand, and one from the old boys of the Wanganui Collegiate School.. '" ""•'*" When leaving Westminster, after the service, the King noticed LanceCorporal J. W. Geange, 6th, Manawatu Mounted Rifleii, lying on pillows in an invalid carriage, as the result of a shattered Bpine. The King stepped aside and ' warmly shook the trooper by the hand, offering a few words of sympathy before he rejoined the Queen. " Proud, to Command the Anzacs." Eight hundred Anzacs, were entertained at luncheon at the Hotel Cecil.: General Sir William Birdwood received an ovation, the men jumping on their chairs and cheer- , ing. General Birdwood said he was glad,he had been associated with the New Zealanders and Australians for twenty months. Although not an Australian-born, he could claim the privilege of being, just as good an ' Australasian as any Anzac soldier. He hoped to command them for the rest of the. war. The world had learned of the Australian and New Zealand achievements in the landing and at Lone Pine , Hill 60, and the evacuation. Tho only complaints i ■ '■"■ were from men who vere not in- ■" . cluded, in the ■ foremost fighting ranks*:) He concluded by emphasis* ing the importance of training and , . discipline. The .tas-c was not yet I finished. After;: the luncheon •a. procession was..'formed and traversed the Strand:v and ' Trafalgar Square. General-Birdwood mei-with a'particularly warm reception from the cheering crowds. A concert in His Majesty's Theatre followed* and proved a striking success. Madam Ada Crowley and a number of, colonials toe part, the soldiers joining in the choruses. Troops Inspected at Hornchurch. General Birdwood, accompanied by . Sir Thomas Mackenzie and Brigadier-General Richardson,. reviewed .the New Zealanders at the Hornchurch base depot carefully. He inspected the line, shaking hands with the officers and chatting with many of the men, whom he renumbered. The troops then marched past and formed a square. Sir/Thomas Mackenzie formally welcomed General Birdwood, and the latter delivered a stirring and soldierly address. The men spontaneously and heartily cheered the popular soldier, who then pinned distinguished conduct medals on the tunics of Sergeant-Majors Hill, Graham .and Boate, Sergeants Abbey, Bennett, Spencer, Tavender, Watson and Comne, Corporals Tempany and Skinner, Privates Findlay, , • Stockdill, Crawford-Watson and i . Driver, Clarke. s'" ; There "was some dissatisfaction ?i . ;■'among.the Australians because the V | 'Australian Light Horse, a fine body '•:' !"'. of men, was chosen to head the procession, while men of the Third, Second and First Brigades, whe .'. were the heroes of the original landing, were in the rear of the proces sion. .. Tliero were many heart- ;. burnings because the smaller men "f! .; wem not selected, but remained in H,, ; camps, While the giants who were included-in the procession had, in \f- :K soma'".'instances, never"been on Gallipoli. •' ';.,- v. »•*$ ' The leading morning papers pub- ■ • ; lished special articles on Anzac Day.