Wave of Homage

Sun (Auckland), Volume II, Issue 509, 12 November 1928, Page 1

Wave of Homage

EUROPE’S IMMORTAL DEAD

Armistice Day at Home

(United P.A.—By Telegraph—Copyrights (Australian and X.jS. Press Association) Received Noon. LONDON, Sunday. FROM the heart of the Empire on Armistice Day there just radiated a mighty wave of homage to the immortal dead. The King again, in dull, fine weather, led the great service at the Cenotaph; hut this time the congregation was Empire-wide.

It was Empire-wide because the ceremony for the first time was broadcast and was heard by means of special installations in the churches throughout Britain, even by little groups gathered round a simple village cross. While the Guards’ bands played, detachments from services, ex-service-men, men and women of the choir from the Chapel Royal, supplemented by the Westminster Abbey choristers, took up positions in Whitehall. Then solemnly the King placed a wreath on the Cenotaph, followed by the Duke of York, representatives of the services and the British Dominions’ Governments. Among the last-named was Sir James Parr on behalf of New Zealand. On the first stroke of Big Ben, trumpeters of the Royal Air Force sounded the “Last Post.” The hymn “O God Our Help in Ages Past,” was sung and a service conducted by the Bishop of London followed, ending with the “Reveille” and the National Anthem. It is estimated that the crowd was greater than ever before, due to the ceremony falling on a Sunday. Then followed the great pilgrimage past the grave of the Unknown Warrior in Westminster Abbey, culminating at seven in the evening with the remembrance festival in the Albert Hall, organised by the British Legion, which the King and Queen attended. FOR REMEMBRANCE ALBERT HALL FESTIVAL TRENCH AND DUGOUT THERE (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) Reed. 1.28 p.m. LONDON, Sunday. Thousands of ex-service men and thousands of widows and other women in deep mourning attended the remembrance festival. They gave an ovation to their Majesties when a fanfare by the trumpeters announced the arrival of the King and Queen, accompanied • by the Duke and Duchess of York. - A trench ran down the centre of the hall, and the stage was fashioned to represent a dug-out, giving point to

community singing of such wartime favourites as “Tipperary,” “Keep the Home Fires Burning,” and old-time catchwords which were shouted across the hall, such as “Are We Downhearted?” and a thunderous answer. “No! ” These were the lighter episodes, but deeper emotions were stirred when the lights were dimmed and such memorial music as Chopin's “Funeral March” by the massed Guards' Bands were played, and hymns like “O God Our Help” and “Abide With Me” were sung. The festival ended with the familiar "Last Post” and Reveille. Lord Jellicoe gave a keynote to the gathering iu an impressive appeal to the vast assembly to renew thenpledge to keep the spirit of comradeship which won the war alive, while working unceasingly for peace, so that such horrors would never be repeated. PRINCE AT NAIROBI SERVICE ATTENDED British Official Wireless Reed. Noon. RUGBY. Sunday. The Prince of Wales attended the Armistice Day celebrations at Nairobi, the capital of Kenya Colony. Speaking at a settlers luncheon which followed the service of remembrance, he said that the service united the whole Empire in common thought more than any other annual ceremony. His Royal Highness declared that he had enjoyed his stay in East Africa beyond all expectations. GERMAN TRIBUTE (Australian and N.Z. Press Association) (United Service) Reed. 10.43 a.m. BERLIN, Sunday. At Wishbaden, in recognition of the Municipal Council’s laying a wreath in the British section of the cemetery during the German observance service last week, representatives of the British Army on the Rhineland placed a wreath on the German war memorial. The ceremony passed almost unnoticed owing to the bad weather, but hundreds inspected the wreath when the news spread.