MEMORIAL WINDOW

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIII, Issue 3150, 13 December 1923, Page 4

MEMORIAL WINDOW

AT ST. ANDREW'S CHURCH. UNVEILING CEREMONY. A second most important public ceremony was performed at Cambridge on Tuesday afternoon, after the unveiling of the war memorial, viz., the unveiling and dedication of a magnificent stained glass*window in St. Andrew's Church, erected by the next-of-kin in memory of the men from this parish who made the supreme sacrifice in the Great War. Special arrangements had been made for seating, but still the church could not accommodate the large crowd present, included among whom were a large miniber of returned soldiers, Territorials, Cadets, and next-of-kin to fallen soldiers. * The service throughout was an exceedingly impressive one, carried through with quiet, simple dignity, and marked by the deep earnestness of the speakers. Opening with the processional hymn, "The Son of Man Goes Forth to War," and the comforting words of the 4Gth Psalm, commencing "God is our hope and strength, a very present heip in trouble," the Rev. G. T. Robson, M.C. (ex-chaplain N.Z.E.F.) read the lesson, Eovclations VII., 9-17, followed by the recital of the creed, and special prayers for the Empire, the Church and for peace, by Rev. C. Mortimer-Jones, M.A. Vicar (ex-chaplain N.Z.E.F.) The Governor-General. At the request of Mr E. B. Cox (people's warden), His Excellency Lord Jollicoo addressed the large congregation. He said he knew of no more fitting place in which to erect a memorial than in the parish church, where the loved ones of the next-of-kin worshipped. The men whose memory this window sought to keep green had made a noble sacrifice, which it was fitting to commemorate. No doubt their names were inscribed in hitters of gold in the hearts of the people of the Empire, for they had done their duty without thought of self. 'lf we who were left behind only did our duty' as ; they had done, then their sacrifice would not be in vain. His Excellency said he thought two verses of a hymn they had sung that afternoon expressed their feelings admirably:— "The golden evening brightens in the west; Soon, soon to faithful warriors comes their rest. • Sweet is the calm of Paradise the blest. Alleluia I But lo! there breaks a yet more glorious day; The Saints triumphant rose in bright array. The King of Glory passes on His way. Alleluia!" His Excellency then unveiled the window, to the greater glory of God. Dedication. Mr Alan deL. Willis (Auckland Regiment), on behalf of the returned soldiers, requested the Bishop of Auckland to dedicate the window, this ceremony being performed by His Lordship in a most impressive manner. "The Last. Post" was sounded, followed by the singing of a special hymn, "All Live Unto Him." Bishop's Address. Speaking from Acts 22, v. 28: "With a great sum obtained I this freedom," Bishop Averill gave a powerful, lucid and' earnest address. The years that followed tho Armistice, said His Lordship-, had cleared the perspective, and the more (dearly we saw things, the more we realised how grateful we shoufd be for the almost superhuman efforts of onr fellow soldiers. He thanked them for this memorial window, beautiful in design and significance. This memorial, the Bishop continued, was in the nature of a burnt offoring, wholly devoted to God, and which would serve as an example to this district of the sacrifice made for duty, and freedom of alien control. It was easv to forget what we owed those brave lads, and also to the wives and mothers of the boys, who made equal sacrifice, but this memorial window would ever he a silent reminder, and urge us to be more worthy of that great sacrifice. His Lordship stressed the point that, we should live lives of sorvien and humility, and eopy that spirit shown by the lads we mourned. The fruits of the war woidd never be garnered until wo recognised this. Our boys had died so that we might end war, but we would never get peace until we put into practice the lessons Ifarn.'d from the last. war. Tu conclusion the Bishop urged his hearers, to be. loyal to the King and their country, to live lives of service and usefulness. Thus they would honour the dead, and be more worthy of the sacrifice the bovs had made.

The hymns, "O. Valiant Hearts." and "0 Praise, the Lord of Heaven," were sung, concluding prayers were said by the Rev. F. & Harty (Kensington Battery* London Regt,), and the Benediction, pronounced by the Bishop, concluded a very beautiful service.

DESCRIPTION OF MEMORIAL.

The memorial window, which com-

prises three English lights, covers a total area of one hundred square feet, and has beon erected in the northern transept of the church. The contral light is oighteen feet in height. The three figures depicted on the window are sympolicof Truth, Freedom arid Justice. Tho prominent colours used for these figures are: "Truth," blue; "Freedom," red and gold; "Justice," purple and gold. These, together with the subordinate shades, make up a beautiful scheme of colour. At the foot of the three lights are three Predella scenes. One represents the landing at Gallipoli on April 25th, 1915, showing the troops on the beach, the warships, and the hills in the distance. Another depicts the capture of J- Los Quesnoy (France) on Nov. 4th ? jfl9lß. These scenes arc first and final engagements of *clir troops in the Great War. The detail is very wonderful, the actual scaling of the walls of the city of Les Quesnoy being particularly realistic. On the lower portion of the central light is shown a wayside crucifixion outside the ruined city of Ypres, with a soldier kneeling at the foot of the Cross. This illustrates the supreme sacrifice, and bears the wording: "Greater love hath no man than this." Running along the base of the window is the inscription:—"Their names liveth for evermore!" xiltogethcr the window is a magnificent piece of work —a noble monument to the gallant Cambridge lads who made the supreme sacrifice, and a beautiful adornment to the parish, church. The firm of Powell and Son, of Whitefrairs, London, who are manufacturers of the window, have been responsible fa? the windows in the New York Cathedral and the new Liverpool Cathedral, which fact alone is sufficient guarantee for the class of work they turn out.