BATTLE MEMORIALS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 18180, 28 August 1922, Page 7

BATTLE MEMORIALS.

«>. THE LONGUEVAL OBELISK. UNVEILING ARRANGEMENTS. United Service. LONDON. Aug. 25. Sir Francis Bell, before returning to New Zealand, will unveil at Longueval the memorial to the New Zealandera who died in France. A contract for the Gallipoli memorial has been accepted. It will be erected above the cemetery at Chunuk Bair. The New Zealand monument at Longueval is to bo in the form of an obelisk . It will stand on the high ground and will be easily seen from all the surrounding villages and from the roads leading to them. The monument itself has a diameter of 23ft., the encircling railings having a diameter of 46ft. the railings there is to be a 14ft. road and encircling the road a plantation 14ft. wide. Besides the inscriptions on the. stone, there wih'be in the front the New Zealand badge now being used on the headstones. Around this will be carved a wreath of laurels, contained within a square panel', with a border of conventional Maori ornament. On the front fac& of the obelisk the inscription will read: "In honour of tho men of the New Zealand Division, First Battle of the Somme, 1916." On the reverse side the same inscription will be written in French. On the side will be written: "The New Zealand Division, after gaining this .position as their first objective, launched from it the successful attack on Flora, 15th Sentember, 1916." On the reverse side will be the same words in French. At the base of the monument in front will be: "From the uttermost ends of the earth." On the reverse the same in French: "Des confins les plus recules do la terre." Tho scheme for the New Zealand memorial at Le Quesnoy is quite an elaborate one. From tho Place d'Armes, in the centre of the town, an avenue, (entered through an ancient gateway, leads' to the walls. The pathway circles the inside of one of the projectiijg ramparts, and finds exit through the wail, across a causeway, and so on to an island outside the walls. On the wall facing the island . and not many feet from where the New Zealandera placed their ladder a plaque, depicting the scaling of the wall and an overshadowing -figure of victorious peace, is to be placed. Over the entrance to the avenue leading from the Place d'Ai-mes is to be erected a plaque 4ft. by 2ft., bearing the inscription, "Avenue d'Honneur des Neo Zelandais." Now Zealand shrubs are to be planted in the garden embraced in the scheme. Mr. Dyke Acland. of Somerset, who takes a very great interest in the cultivation of New' Zealand flora, has given a large number of New Zealand shrubs, including some hundred arunda conspicua, better known as toetoe. Some 250 veronicas have been planted, including 12 varieties, and a large number of olearias. Ribbon wood, tooj is to be tried and manuka might grow in the sheltered position in the moat. The Gallipoli monument will be 45ft. in height, 18ft. 6in. at the base, and 12ft. oln. at the top. 'As earthquakes have occurred in this district, every precaution has been taken by reinforcement to guard against any damage being done. Care has been taken in the design to get the greatest amount of superficial area for the least expense of material, so that the monument is easily visible from the Narrows, which are the main course of traffic for Cohstantipole. The nearest point where the steamers turn in the is about five miles. On the iEgean side the stone will stand out with great boldness, as tho shore is only 1500 yards away.