R.S.A. REUNION

Hawke's Bay Herald-Tribune, Volume 81, Issue 54, 26 November 1937, Page 6

R.S.A. REUNION

Big Attendance at Hastings Function TOUR OF BATTLEFIELDS "I don't think there has over been such a representative gathering as we have to-night," commeflted. a uxember at the conclusion of the roll-call- at the reunion held in the Oddfellows' hall by the Hastings Returned Soldiers' Association last evening. There were over 160 present, every New Zealand regiment, and, with but two exceptions, every New Zealand unit, being represexxted in addxtion to the Lnperial Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force, Australia, Canada and South Africa. - , - The gathering was voted quite one.of the most successful held by the associntiqn, the programme being a splendid one, while plenty of opportuxiities wero given for the "Diggers" to get together and reeall old "days and; incidents and coxarades, Mr P. J. Priest, president of the Hastings branch, pr.esided, and ma. apology was received from Mr E. H. T. • Dunn, president of the Napier- branch. lt was reported that, as the result of 35 renewals and new nxembers enrolled, the membership of the branch was nowover 340. • The following programme was pro*' vided:— :Songs, Mr J. Cloustonj coiijuring act, Mr E. Thornburrow; songs*. Mr J. Stiekland; songs and variety turns Mr H. Loaeh; cornet dnet, Messrs C, McPherson and E. Jones; elocutionhry numbers, Mr H. Larsen; com-. munity sing, led by Mr R. Horsefield. In addition various pianoforte numbers . were contributed by Mr W. Lord. A most interesting talk was given. fcy Mr R. 1. Hunt on" his -Mking tour of battlefields of France -and Belgium, which he made ixx the. course, of hia tour abroad. Mr Hunt, who whs ablo to pay a leisurely visit to many qf the well-rememhered spots of the war ..days, said that on his arrival at.Boulogne'he took a bus to Armentier^ and, from there he "hiked" the battlefields of Messines, Passchendaele, Ypres, the Somme, etcN and 'taking his timo he was" able to reconstruct niany of his war memories, despite the fact that most of -the places he visited were not recognisable as the plafees where he served his country. - "At Ypres for •instance,,, said Mr Hunt, ♦'the only reminder of -the war ; is that half :of • the famous Cloth Hall remains in its war-shattered condition. - Apart from this, the whole city hae been rebuilt. The cemeteries, of course* are a grim reminder, but they" are particularly well kept and for' .this the greatest credit is due to the -War Graves Commission. Generally speaMng, the whole- of the war zones have ixow •been rebuilt and there are oiily the areas such as Yimy Ridge, HRl 60, Beaumont Hamel, etc., which have been . purchased by .various Governments "aiid retained in their war-scarred state to bring back memories of those war years.' ' ' . ' '•' ' ;-

Mr Hunt mentioned that he had "been able to see 'the New "Zealand monuments at- Gravenstafel, Messines "and. the Somine, and at Zonnebeck.he. had walked through a- German cemetery of ' over 40,000 graves. "It is very difficult to get the lay of the land now," said Mr Hunt, "but-I discovered that' the well-known ♦pill-. hox' at Gravenstafel was now the sit« of an hotel. In various areas there'.are ' still some plll-boxes, remaining, and I was able to go into one which I hadf occupied whilst at the war." Mr Hunt said that for him this war-i zone visit was one of" the most interest-* ing phases of the whole of his extensiv* tour.