EMPIRE’S MILLION DEAD

Otago Daily Times, Issue 22909, 17 June 1936, Page 10

EMPIRE’S MILLION DEAD

MEMORIAL AT ARRAS TABLET UNVEILED. (From Our Own Correspondent) (By Air Mail) LONDON. May 13. On May 10 a tablet was unveiled in the rebuilt Arras Cathedral to the memory of “one million dead of the British Empire who fell in the Great War, 191418, and of whom the greater part rest in France.” Among those present were Sir George Clerk, the British Ambassador; Sir Fabian Ware and Colonel Higginson, of the Imperial War Graves Commission; Mr V. C. Duffy, Baron do Coriolis, Colonel F. D. Blair, Mr W. G. Parmintcr, Major L. H. Cockram, representing respectively Australia, Canada, South Africa, and India; Lieutenant-colonel D. B. Blair, D. 5.0.. M.C., representing New Zealand: Admiral Sir Morgan Singer, Lieutenantcolonel Sir George Macdonough, Colonel George Easton. Sir Reginald Blomfield. Colonel F. G. Beaumont-Ncehit; M. Rene Hesse, Minister of Pensions, representing the French Government: General Sclnveissgut, representing the Minister of War; M. Rochard, representing the Prefect of the Pas de Calais; and the Vicar-general, Father Marcchal, representing the Bishop of Arras. The Secretary of State for War (Mr Duff Cooper) performed the unveiling ceremony, which took place in the presence of a large crowd. The troops uf the 3rd Engineers formed a guard of honour, and French ex-servicemen’s associations paraded with their colours. After a brief address by (lie French Vicar-general,■ wreaths were laid at the foot of the memorial. The unveiling and a one-minute’s silence followed. The ceremony concluded with the playing of “God Save the King.” and the “Marseillaise,” by the Miners’ Band from Lievin. Mr Duff Cooper, in his reply to the Cathedral authorities, expressed the thanks of the Imperial War Graves Com mission for permission to place the tablet in the Cathedral. He recalled that the day was the fete of St. Joan of Arc. The Imperial War Graves Commission had laid wreathe in the chapel of Notre Dame de Lorette beneath the two stained glass windows representing St. Joan of Arc and St. George of England, which were the gifts of the British Empire. “My countrymen.” he concluded, “ will never forget your attentions to our war graves. We are sure that you and your children will show the same generosity for centuries to come.”

M. Reno Basse, the one-armed French Minister of Pensions, paid a tribute to the attack of the British Third Army under General Allenhy, now Field-mar-shal .Viscount Allenhy. in 1917. In the morning M. Delansormo. Mayor of Arras, was decorated by the British Ambassador with the insignia of the Order of the British Empire. At 4 p.m. the British delegation visited the memorial to place wreaths. THE VISIT TO YPRES.

Mr and Lady Diana Duff Cooper, accompanied by Brigadier-general Maedonagh and the architect of the Menin Gate memorial, had arrived at Ypros the previous day. The Secretary of State, with the head of the War Graves Commission. visited the Britist cemeteries in the former Yp r es Salient, and returned to Ypros at 8 p.m. to attend the daily sounding of the “Last Post” at the Men'i Gate.

Mr Duff Cooper and his party were received at the Town Hall by M. Vandorghote, the Burgomaster, and the aldermen of the city, and signed t'-o golden book there. In company with theßurgomaster he proceeded to the town War Memorial and left flowers both there and at the British monument.