MARCH OF THE VETERANS

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 9, Issue 66, 26 April 1946, Page 5

MARCH OF THE VETERANS

IMPRESSIVE ANZAC SERVICE

YESTERDAY’S CO-MEMORATION

GROWING PUBLIC INTEREST

Pohaturoa Rock was once again the scene of an impressive Anzac Memorial Service yesterday when residents of Whakatane and the surrounding district gathered to pay a further reverent tribute to those men who made the supreme sacrifice in two world wars. There appeared to be a greater public interest than ever and the procession of Returned men, numbered well over a hundred. Local units of the Red Cross V.A.D.?, .Junior Red Cross, St John Nursing Division, Girl Guides, Scouts, Cubs, Roys Brigade and ,Life Roys made one of the biggest parades on record.

Perfect weather made the scene at the Rock an unforgettable one. 'The greensward, upon which was the flag-draped cenotaph, and the official dais gave way to the grey lichened background of towering Pohaturoa, which in its turn was outlined by the bluest sky. The parading groups which had been headed by the Caledonian Society’s Pipe Band, lined the triangle on two sides, the westerly being occupied by the solid mass of returned men, and the northerly by the other .parading units. An Unforgettable Sight

The official group which comprised His Worship the Mayor who presided; W. Sullivan Esq. M.P., Revs. Drake (Anglican), Hogg and Bell (Presbyterian) and Attwood (Methodist) occupied the dais. The Boys’ Band under the baton of Bandmaster Jarrett, once again supplied the music for the service which has won so much praise for its solemnity and impressiveness. Also as in former .years four members of the Legion -of Frontiersmen mounted guard at the cenotaph throughout, and added a further touch of quiet dignity to the proceedings. Each figure remained, with reversed arms, and as though carved from stone throughout.

Form of Service

The service opened with the singing of the hymn ‘The Old Hundredth’ (All People That on Earth do Dwell), which was followed by a prayer, offered by Rev. Attwood. Kipling’s beautiful Recessional hymn followed,, sung by the assemblage. The Rev. Drake then read from the Scriptures, an extract from the Book of Solomon. The two hymns ‘O God Our Help in Ages Past’, and ‘Abide With Me’ concluded the ritual service, and the Benediction was given "by Rev. Bell. The minister’s words had scarcely died away when the clear notes of the ‘Last Post’ rang out, to be followed by the two minutes silence to the memory of the ‘Glorious Dead.’ The hush which fell on the assembly was a tribute to the general feeling of reverance by the large crowd, which only raised heads when the clipped notes of the Reveille were sounded by Bandsman Ken Jarrett. To the Fallen The placing of the official wreaths on the Cenotaph was accompanied by the beautiful funeral band piece ‘A Garland of Flowers.’ The veterans then filed past the Cenotaph and placed their poppies (saved from Poppy Day) in the form of a cross which was outlined on the green. Wreaths and floral tributes were laid in increasing numbers at the base of the monument, by a steady procession of representatives and private individuals until it glowed with every conceivable shade of autumn tint.

The reformation of the parade and March Past concluded the ceremony, as once again headed by the Pipers, the long procession filed down Commerce Street, swung about and gave the ‘Eyes Right’ salute on passing the Cenotaph. Arrived back at the monument, Mr H. L. Brown (President of tha R.S.A.) thanked all units for parading and complimented the junior sections. The parade was dismissed by the Marshall, Mr C. F. Thomas.

LEST WE FORGET’ THE LESSON OF ANZAC AN INSPIRING ADDRESS “It is not sufficient that we honour the memory of these

men by mere lip service. It has been said that our crowning dis-

honour to our dead lies in our puny efforts to remember them. We must do more than that. We must be inspired by their example and prepared if necessary to follow them in their sacrifice.”

The above was uttered by Rev. Hogg, in the course of his inspiring Anzac address yesterday at Pohaturoa Rock. It represented the tenour of his discourse on the ideal of memory and gratitude to those who had sacrificed their lives in order that the living might continue free. The breaking of the sacrament, he said, as instructed by Christ, was another symbol ordained in order that mankind should not forget. We had emulated the same method in setting aside Anzac Day as a day of memory to those who had fallen. Why, he asked, were we so anxious to maintain this observance? It was because we knew that it was a disastrous thing from a moral and spiritual point of view to forget. It was imperative to remember these things and to profit by their contemplation. He could picture nothing more unlovely than ingratitude. It was right that we should continue to remember our debt to those who had died in order that *we should be delivered from slavery and worse. We thought of them on Anzac Day as those who had preserved for us all we hold dear.

Anzac Day was a day of rededication. It was right that we should remember and be glad; remember in reverence and solemnity, and in remembering go forward with renewed faith every day of our lives.