AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23139, 10 September 1938, Page 15

AUSTRALIAN MEMORIAL

CEREMONY IN FRANCE AN IMPRESSIVE SCENE RETURN OF THE ORGANISER The tremendous interest which the French took in the unveiling of the Australian war memorial at Villers Bretonneux by King George in July was stressed by Lieut.-Colonel A. M. Forbes, M.V.0., M.C., a member of the Australian Staff Corps, who arrived by the Tamaroa yesterday after about 16 months' special service in England. Lieut.-Colonel Forbes organised the unveiling ceremony. With every co-operation from the French, the ceremony was carried through smoothly and impressively, Lieut.-Colonel Forbes said. The guard of honour was formed by between 400 and 500 Australian ex-servicemen, and in the enclosure there was a gathering of about 2000 people. A vast crowd assembled beoynd, including a large number of French troops.

The beauty of the memorial was widely commented upon, he said. About three-quarters of a mile from the village of Villers Bretonneux. it stood oil the top of a small bare hill, being surrounded by fields which, at the time, were bright with scarlet poppies and cornflowers. Lending up from the Villers Bretonneux-Corbie Road was an Imperial War Craves Commission cemetery, in which the roses presented a beautiful picture.

For his work in connection with the ceremony, Lieut.-Colonel Forbes received from the King the decoration of Member of the Victorian Order. He is proceeding to Australia, where he will take up a new appointment as general staff officer in South Australia. Lieut.Colonel Forbes is accompanied by his wife.'