WREATHS IN LONDON

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXVI, Issue 20093, 13 November 1939, Page 7

WREATHS IN LONDON

KING REPRESENTED CEREMONY IN FRANCE PILGRIMS OF EMPIRE (Reed. Nov. 13, 9 a.m.) LONDON, Nov. 11. The past and present wore linked with the deepest significance in Britain’s first wartime observance of Armistice Day. The first wreaths and posies were placed at the sand bagged base of the Cenotaph long before the late autumn dawn had relieved the black-out.

The two minutes of silence ai the Cenotaph ceremony was abandoned, but there were numerous church services throughout Britain.

The King’s equerry, Commander Campbell, drove to the Cenotaph at 9.30 a.m. and placed a wreath on behalf of Their Majesties. The New Zealand High Cornmismissioner, Mr. W. J. Jordan, deposited a wreath on behalf of New Zealand. A wreath was laid on the Cenotaph on behalf of His Highness the Sultan of Johore. His Highness is at present residing in England. Flanders Poppies

Traffic swept up and down Whitehall during the day in a constant stream of flowers bearers. There was hundreds of sellers of Flanders poppies.

The crowds at the Cenotaph were startled by a woman rushing into the road shouting: “Hypocrites. Twenty years after” —whereupon a constable ted her away.

“Somewhere in France” the participation of New Zealanders and Australians among the British Expeditionary Force and the Royal Air Force, gave Empire significance to the simple ceremonies of laying poppies on the graves of the war dead in 2000 British cemeteries. New Zealand and Australian cemeteries were places of pilgrimage during the day,

The British Commander-in-Chief, Viscount Gort. in the presence of me Duke of Gloucester and a company of troops in batlledrcss, 16 buglers and four French civilians in deep mourning placed a wreath at the Ossuary, the famous cemetery where lie 40,000 French killed in the great battle in the last war. Anti-aircraft guns were mounted round the cemetery in order to prevent a surprise aerial attack.