ADMIRAL JELLICOE

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 298, 12 September 1919, Page 7

ADMIRAL JELLICOE

VISIT' TO OAM'AETJ. By TeleiffttDh—Pro«« Aiuoniatlon. Oamaru, September 11. The town was gaily decorated to-day for Admirall Jellicoe's official visit to Oamaru. The Admiral and his officers wore received by representative citizens, and entertained by the civic authorities at luncheon. In tho course 1 of his remarks the Admiral!' spoko of the close comradeship and mutual admiration of the Royal' Navy am! members of the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces. Ee< stressed .the need for young men to undergo training for the Navy, and expressed the hope that many sons of New Zealand'homes would show that love of tlie sea which was one of the fundamentals of the British Empire/and would join the Navy, New Zealand would play no mean part in tho scheme Which it was hopedj to evolve for the naval defence of 'the y Empire. Later in tho afternoon, Admiral Jellicoe participated iii tho ceremony of the dedication of tho memorial oaks in memory of the fallen soldiers of North Otago. There was a strong parade of school'children, returns! -soldiers, and cadets, and a large gathering of the public.-, It is proposed to plant a memorial oak in lionour of every soldier belonging to North Otago who made the supreme sacrifice. Speeches of .welcome were delivered by the Mayor (Mr. James Jl'Diarmid) and Mr. E. P. Ice, M.P. Viscount Jellicoe, in accepting the honour of planting the first two memorial oaks, said that that day they had paid the Royal Navy a tribute which the Royal Navy would never forget, and that was that.an officer of the Navy should be asked to dedicate memorials planted in honour of. their fallen soldiers. He could express to them Ins appreciation of tho honour paid to him personally and through him to every officer and man in the Navy. He looked upon it as an indication of the happy and close comradeship which existed between 'i ho Navy and Army during the war. They of tho Eoval Navy had always held the New Zealandel's in great reverence and- esteem. They saw what Hie New Zealandera did at GaJlipoli, and they had/ read of (and some of them hnd seen) their work in France. The form of memorial to the dead that had been undertakon was as fine a monument as could be conceived— it was ideal in hi? humble opinion; The memory of those falion soldiers who wero commemorated by the trees would livo forever, and he thought that such a memorial must always help to soothe tho sorrows of those who had lost, their loved ones. He would perform the dedication ceremony with the deepest respect and the greatest pleasure.

Admiral Jetlicoe then planted two memorial oaks, one in memory of Nurse Clark, who perished in the Marquette dis.aster. and tho other in'honour of Sergeant D. F. Brown, V.C., who was killed on tho Somme.