WAR MEMORIAL HUT

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22081, 11 October 1933, Page 4

WAR MEMORIAL HUT

WORK OF Y.M.C.A. IN GERMANY FINAL PLANS FOR ERECTION. (Special to Daily Times.) WELLINGTON, October 10. A Y.M.C.A. building will shortly be erected in the Hutt Valley out of an old trust fund as a memorial to the young men of the Dominion who fell during the Great War. The site of the building will be the corner of Cuba and Manchester streets, Petone. The plans are now being completed, and tenders will be called in a few days. Mr C. R. Edmond, who was leader of the New Zealand Y.M.C.A. serving with the army of occupation in Germany, states: " When the New Zealand Division arrived in Germany at Christmas time in 1918 they were welcomed by the New Zealand Y.M.C.A., which had established a refreshment booth just opposite the detraining point. This was the com- ■ mencement of a very fine piece of service which the New Zealand Y.M.C.A. did with the New Zealand Division during the period when the division was part of the army of occupation on the Rhine, At this time the suggestion was made by certain members of the division that many of the Diggers would appreciate the opportunity of contributing towards the erection of a memorial Y.M.C.A. hut in New Zealand. This suggestion was taken up, and as the result a sum of approximately £I3OO was raised from the different units which composed the division. A portion of this money was contributed by the battalion canteens as they closed down prior to demobilisation.

" This money was transferred to New Zealand by the National Council of Y.M.C.A.'s, which created a special trust account to be operated by Major-general Sir Andrew Russell, officer commanding the New Zealand Division, Mr J. L. Hay, supervising secretary of the New Zealand Y.M.C.A. overseas, and Mr W. C. Hemery, treasurer of the National Council of Y.M.C.A's. During the intervening years the money has been carrying interest, and the amount now available is £2IOO. Many suggestions have been put froward as to the best method of creating the memorial. The convention of Y.M.C.A.'s 0 f New Zealand, held in Christchurch in March of this year, resolved that a memorial hut should be erected in the Hutt Valley. This is doubtless a suitable location, as most of the men who went overseas during the war were trained at Trentham and passed through, the Hutt Valley on their way to the troopship to embark for service overseas. There is no doubt that the Y.M.C.A. is remembered with affection by many of the Diggers, and the erection of this memorial hut will be a tangible expression of that affection which was frequently expressed in lurid terms, but was none the less real because of that."