"OUR GLORIOUS DEAD."

Waikato Independent, Volume XXIII, Issue 3150, 13 December 1923, Page 5

"OUR GLORIOUS DEAD."

The, Cambridge district can justly claim to stand second to none other in tho whole of this Dominion in regard to its loyalty and patriotism, and the sacrifices it made during the Groat "War. It is therefore gratifying to know that we have erected a fitting -and worthy memorial, that will be a ■constant reminder to town and district residents of the sacrifices made by our igallant lads, and of the victory of the Allies ovor the forces of despotism and Prussianism.

The : «Wnori"al Ims been erected in an ideal sfit#tion, on what, is known as Jubilee %truens, in front of the Town eminence overlooking the of the town. Thoro it -will iff ages to come, we trust, speak eloquently to all beholders of those principles of sacrifice and victory, which it commemorates.

Tuesday last, the date fixed for the unveiling of the memorial, will be recognised as one of our red letter days, the ceremony being performed with -great impressiveness by His Excellency the Governor-General, Viscount Jellicoe, in the presence of a great throng of people—one of the largest gatherings ever seen in the town. The Procession. Soon after 1 p.m. the procession mov■ed off from the Drill Hall, headed by the Girl and Boy Scouts (including the Wolf Cubs), Municipal Band, Territorials, Senior Cadets, returned soldiers, representatives of local bodies, and •'Oddfellows in regalia. Lieut.-Colonel T. Peake was officer in command of the procession. On arrival of His Excellency at the site, the Royal Salute was given, the "Band playing the National Anthem, and tlie Goovernor-General and his Aide-de-Oamp (Capt. Southey) took their scats on a raised platform, on which were also seated His Lordship the Bishop of Auckland, Archdeacon -Cowie. 'Revs. C. Mortimer-Jones, Dr O'Callaghan, J. D. McArthur and James Hay, Messrs C. H. " Priestley (Mayor of Cambridge), P. Lye and H. A. Young, M's.P., H. Alan Bell (Chairman Memorial Committee), and G. H. Bellamy (Secretary Memorial Committee).

Telegrams apologising ±'ot non-atten-dance were received from the Hon. "R. P. Bollard, the Mayors of Hamilton and Te Awamutu, and Mr Bailey (Chairman Waikato Hospital Board). ~ .. Mayoral Welcome. . Worship the Mayor of Cam(Mr C. H. Priestley) welcomed the povernoE-Geneml, stating they were proud indeed to have such a distinguished sailor as Viscount. Jellicoe. of Sea pa, to perform the ceremony of unveiling their war memorial. Mr Priestley said he hoped it would be some consolation to all thosi % in the district who had been bereaved that Ihis great honour had been done to the boys who had so nobly given their lives for our liberty, and that such a beautiful memorial Would be carefully guarded till the end of time. Mr Lye's Speech. After singing the hymn, '' Pight the

Cambridge District War * Memorial. ; UNVEILING CEREMONY. "Thoy went with songs to the buttle. They wore young, straight of limb, true of eye, steady and aglow. They were staunch to the end against odds uncounted. They fell with their faces to the foe. They shall not grow old, as wo that grow old. Aite shall not weary thorn, uor (ho years condomn. ",ijfcshc. going down of tho sun in the morning thorn." - J ;.>l

Good Fight" (Pentecost), and the residing of the lesson (Wisdom 111., 1-9 and Romans VIIL, 35-39) by Bev. J. D. McArthur, the member for the district (Mr F. Lye) gave a very brief address. Mr Lye said that day they had to pay tribute to the men who fell in the war. His Excellency the Gover-nor-General had been pleased to come here to unveil the' memorial, and the speaker extended to him, on behalf of the residents of the district, a cordial welcome. Mr Lye said the people of New Zealand fully appreciated their great good fortune in having such a man as Lord Jollicoe as their GovernorGeneral —a gentleman who had, by his great kindness and unfailing courtesy endeared himself to the people. Mr Lye then called upon His Excellency to unveil the memorial. Victory and Sacrifice. His Excellency, after thanking the War Memorial Committee for the great honour done him by inviting him to perform this ceremony, said that tho uppermost thoughts in everyone's mind that day would be those expressed by the memorial itself—sacrifice and victory. TS T e\\ Zcalanders had always proved themselves ready to answer to the call of Empire, and were ready to do so again if necessary. His Excellency quoted from figures published by Lord Asquith, showing that 22 per cent of the whole population of the United Kinkdom had enlisted in the War. In New Zealand the proportion was 19 per cent; Canada and Australia, 13; South Africa, 11. These official figures, said Lord Jellicoe, were typical of "New Zealand's loyalty and patriotism. New Zealand was the most distant portion of the great British Empire, yet had beaded the list in assistance given to the Motherland. The credit was due as much to the wives and mothers of the 7 bids as to the men themselves. As a result.of this splendid sacrifice, New Zealand would go down emblazoned in honour for her work for civilisation and for the Empire. Those men who went to the front had no thought of self, said the. Governor-General. They ga.vc themselves freely for the great cruise. As for those who stayed behind and mourned the less of loved ones-, our cloenost sympathy wont out to these, and we appreciated ihe sacrifices they had inside. And what of the victory? asked His Kxcelloncy. Of one thing we should all he determined, and that was to follow the example of those galiaii! men in our devotion to duty, and we should so live as to bo worthy of vlio gre.-tt sacrifices made on oar behalf. I'n conclusion. Lore! Jellicoe said that, if we hut followed in cur daily lives the example set by the bids wo mourned, we would he worthy of lljeir ssierifiee. and of the victory. His Execllencv then unveiled the memorial "To the greater *rl«iry of God. and in memory of the men from this district who fell in the Great War." After giving the salute, snnid an impressive silence, Lord dellicoe placed a wreath of laurel leaves at the foot of the central figure of Hie memorial, the Band playing "New Lydi.a."

In a special address to the children, His Excellency the Governor-General said he would ask the children of the district, to make up their minds to see that this magnificent memorial, beautb ful in itself, apart from, what it signified, was in their care. He hoped they would determine that the memorial would go down to their descendants in the same beautiful condition in which they saw it that afternoon. Dedicatory Service.

After the Choral Society had sung "The Radiant Mom Hath Passed Away," the Right Rev. Lord Bishop of Auckland, D.D., offered up very beautiful dedicatory prayers, and dedicated the, memorial "to the Glory of God, and in memory of His servants who have laid down their lives on behalf of their country." Closing Rites.

The "Last .Post" was then sounded by Bandmaster C. Boyce, followed by the singing of tho anthem, "The Sim Shall Be No More," by the Choral Society, the sounding of Tho Reveille, and tho singing of that triumphant hymn, "For All the Saints." The Benediction was pronounced by the Rev. James Hay. Then came the singing of the National Anthem, and so ended one of the most impressive and touching services ever held in the district. '

At the close of the ceremony wreaths wore placed on the memorial, at the foot of the sarcophagus, first by Mr F. Lye, M.P., on behalf of the district, and then by His Worship the Mayor (on behalf of the borough), followed by a groat many others, the great majority by those who mourned loved ones killed at the front. His .Excellency the Governor-General took si keen interest in the ex-service men present, shaking hands with all returned soldiers, and conversing freely with thein in his gonial manner. The Band played prior to the commencement of the ceremony, and for the hymns. Mr Alf. Boyce acted as conductor of the Choral Society. There was not a hitch in the whole of the arrangements, thanks to tho

Committee, and in particular to the Chairman (Mr H. Alan Bell), Mr G. H. Bellamy (Secretary), and the Mayor (Mr C. H. Priestley). THE MEMORIAL. WHAT IT SIGNIFIES. VICTORY AND SACRIFICE. The Memorisil must be read in plan as well as in elevation, which means that the layout is designed as an integral part of the whole. The lsryout is in the form of a Cross, symbolising our Christian faith and its attendant sacrifices. At the foot of the Cross (in plan) is placed the sarcophagus, bearing in bronze the names of those who have made the supreme sacrifice, wdioso memory must be preserved for all time. At the crux of the cross (in plan) rises the obelisk, the focal point of the memorisil, which records with its figures and inscriptions the communal service and sacrifice. The following two inscriptions are incised in the stone on the east and west sides of the shaft:—

"To the Glory of God and to the Immortal Memory of the Cambridge men who gave their lives in the Great War, 1914-1918."

"They shall be as the Stones of a Crown lifted up as an ensign upon the land." This last inscription is from the Bible, Zachariah 9th diaper, 16th verse.

• Superimposed upon the four faces of the obelisk are cross forms that are read in conjunction with the figures and inscriptions at their bases. At the foot of the cross, on the north side, is the figure of Youth on the threshold of manhood, giving up self in Service, and in defence of those ideals which the cross behind him symbolises. Rupert Brooke best inspires the meaning which the architect has tried to convey in his lines:— "These laid the world away; poured out the red Sweet wine of youth: gave up the years to be Of work and joy, and thsit unhoped serene That men call age: and those who would have been, Their sous, .they gave, their immortality." In the face the sculptor portrays neither regret nor agony, but thsit feeling expressed in words on the central panel'of the name pedestal, the sublime joy of accomplishing in some measure the tsisk imposed "even unto the death." The N.Z. fighting unit on (!siliipoli. stripped to the waist, with shorts, has been taken its a type for the modelling of the figure. Though faithfully portrayed, it aims at something more than a portrayal of type. and along the lines already described strives to inspire the meaning of the Great: War and our own mingled feelings of .sorrow in sacrifice and pride in victory. Upon the opposite side, in the shadow of the cross, lies .the lion. guarding the sarcophagus with its precious records. Expressing symbolically imperial victory, strength and courage, •if associates the names of the dead

with the inscriptions on tho shaft, and adds emphasis to the pedestal. Upon the sarcophagus lie three bronze tablets, the centre bears the inscription: "Toll Britain ye that mark this Monument faithful to her we fell and rest content." adapted from Simonide's epitaph on the Spartans at Thermopylae. .Enclosing this inscription is the cross symbol, and laid upon it the mediaeval sword bound with reeds and pointing down, representing a righteous pesiee with honour. On either side of this central panel at a lower level two panels bear tho names and ages of tho 74 men of tho Cambridge district who gave their lives,

J. R. Allwill, B. 'E. Atkinson, S. ,T. Attwood, K. Armor. W. N. Bell. C. Bertelsen, M. R. Butler. C. H. Boyce, B. B. Booth, G. H. Booth, J. Budge, V. C. Cameron, J. S. Cameron, E. W. Cox, E. Cordon, J. Chambers, S. Carpenter, N. Cooke, W. Crickett. G. W. Davies, G. E. Davies, A. W. M. Dray, C. J. Entwislo, D. M. Fisher, W. D. Gow, R, W. Gray, C. Hally. C. J. Hally, Jv. A. Hooker. A. N. Hooker, J. A. Hicks. R. W. Hunter. F. W. Hunter, V. Holboch, W. D. Kemp, W. T. Kelly, W. F. Kecley, W. G.- Krogmann, A. G. Libeau, A. G. Low. B. A. Lockley, T. L. Liddington, S. .T. Liddington. E. M. Marx, J. Martyn, J. A. Melville, D. B. S. McLean, G. F. McNeish, F. McLarnon. L. McMillan, J. A. McNeish, G. F. Norris, W. Petersen, R. S. Peppercorn, F. Paine, W. R. Perkins, T. W. Phillips. .T. Prebble, A. A. Playfair. H. Randrupp, M. R. Roberts, J. P. Robinson, A. W. Riitter, 0. F. Sanders. E. Searle. .T. T. Thompson, A. Thomason, H. Viekors. W. B. Wade, R, A. Watkins, .T. West, W. B. DcL. Willis, H. Wicks, W. Webb. Planting Programme.

The planting programme, in its setting of white brick, has been specisilly designed to preserve the simple linos of the Memorial and to help in combining the two focal points. Rosemary shrubs support the shaft sit the four corners, and cypresses form a back for the sarcophagus. The lily pond has boon introduced as a link, and as a means of adding an additional value with reflections. Materials.

The masonry of the slut ft and pedestal is Hobart stone, the stsitutary Italian marble ,the flagging York stone. All lettering is incised in the stone sifter the manner of the ancients, and is based on that of tho Trajan Column in Rome.

Cost would not permit the bronze work to be cast in England, and the Memorial Committee is indebted to the untiring efforts of Mr Gross and Messrs A. and T. Burt, of Auckland, for obtaining the maximum artistic finish allowed by the limits of the sandcasting process used in New Zealand. Cambridge has a Memorial which is costing less than anything of its size and finish erected in Australasia. Only Mr Gross' great desire to give something worthy without consideration of cost to himself in labour or expenditure has made it possible to erect such a Memorial at so small a cost. The actual cost of the Memorial w r a« approximately £2OOO. Designs were invited bv the Cantbridge Memorial Committee, and that submitted by Mr N. Wallnutt, of Auckland, was accepted. The construction and erection of the various elements of the Memorial have been supervised throughout by him. and the Committee wish to place on Tecord their appreciation of the architect's devotion to duty, and the enthusiasm displayed in his efforts to secure a worthy monument.