ANZAC DAY

New Zealand Herald, Volume 81, Issue 24877, 26 April 1944, Page 6

ANZAC DAY

HOMAGE TO FALLEN IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY gathering at cenotaph Ansae Day was observed in Auckland yesterday in a spirit of homage to the memory of those who have fallen in the last war and the present on the field ot battle, or have died at sea or in the air, in defence of their Empire and the ideals for which it stands, lhe chief city' observance was an 1 " 1 Pr t sslv '? ceremony at the Cenotaph in the Court of Honour, in front of the. War Memorial Museum, at 11 o clock in tlie morning, and although the wither was threatening, with overcast sky and a cold wind, the attendance was estimated to be about 8000, including 1000 ex-servicemen and women ot the present and past wars and 300 members of the United States forces. Ram fell as the parade was marching off . Assembling in Grafton Road, the long column of war veterans and troops marched to the Domain under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel G. I 4 • £ sa " ward, D.5.0., M.C., a returned officer of the present war. Seven bands tooK part in the parade, which was watched by large crowds which lined the route. Many Men from Present War There was a strong representation of the Second N.Z.E.F. The banners ot nearly every unit of the last war er ® carried, others being borne at the head of sections consisting of veterans ot previous wars and present-day branches of the services. After the march ins men and women had reached their stations in the Court of Honour, the National Anthem was sung, followed by the "Star Spangled Banner" in honour of the American Allies. To the music of the band of the New Zealand Institute for the Blind, the hvmn "AS! People That on Earth Do Dwell" preceded the sounding of the "Last Post," during which representatives of the Royal Navy, Ro \a Naval Reserve, Merchant Navy. Imperial Arm v, Australian Imperial Forces and the New Zealand Expeditionary Force lowered the flags that had been on the Cenotaph since last Anzac Day. New flags were then bent on the standards and, following the singing of the hymn "Abide With Me, were hoisted while the "Reveille was sounded. The flags removed from the Cenotaph were, in the customary manner, handed to representatives _ot five selected schools, the sixth, a union Jack, being retained for use in the Auckland Returned Services Association's new clubrooms. Large Number of Wreaths Official wreaths were then placed on the Cenotaph as follows: —New Zealand Government, by Mr. A. G. Osborne, M P ; the citizens of Auckland, by the Mavor, Mr. J. A. C. Allum, and the acting-town clerk, Mr. !•. J. Gwilham; the Australian Government, by the Hon. T. G. de L. D'Alton, High Commissioner for Australia; the Consular Corps of Auckland, by the dean, Mr Hiram Boucher, Consul for the United States, and Mr. D. Millar, Vice-Consul for Norway; the Returned Services Association, Mr. A. P. Postlewaite; the Roval Navy, bv Commodore W. Iv. Dowdinc, D.S.C.", R.N.; the New Zealand Forces, by Major-General P. H. Bell, C.8.. D.S.C.; the Royal New Zealand' Air Force, bv Air-Commodore S. Wallingford, C.8.E.. A.D.C.; the New Zealand Army Nursing Sisters, by Miss If Comrie; the Merchant Navy, by Mr. W. Muir. D.S.C.; and for the United States Forces in New Zealand, by a senior officer of a visiting division. Among the many other wreaths laid was one on behalf of the Second N.Z.E.F. Association by Sapper W. Meyer and Mr. A. Berryman, and one by the representative of the Czechoslovak Association, Mr. I. \. Porsolt. Many suburban observances were carried out as arranged.