EMPIRE’S TRIBUTE

Hokitika Guardian, 12 November 1920, Page 2

EMPIRE’S TRIBUTE

BODY REACHES LONDON. ■ AUSTRALIAN & N.z. CAULS ASSOCIATION) LONDON, November 10. D Hiring the cross channel passage, the coffin of the unknown soldier rested on the deck of the French destroyer Verdun. It was guarded by a solitary naval sentry. Three destroyers were on' the right of the Verdun, and three on the left while another three were astern. All had their white ensigns .at half mast. The flotilla was greeted in England by a salute of nineteen guns, fired from Dover Castle. j The coffin w r as carried to,a train by , six warrant officers of all the services, six senior officers acting as pallbearers. A special qoach which had carried the bodies of Nurse Cavell and Captain Fryatt, was adorned with i white flow’ers. It had its roof painted 1 white, in order that the waiting crowds at each station along the line would be able to identify, and make a sad obeisance as the train passed. I The train reached Victoria Station at eight-thirty, where it remained during the night guarded by Grenadiers, i Marshal Foch’s message to Marshal Wilson yesterday, specially mentioned the Australians and New Zealanders and the other overseas British troops, who came to the French battlefields, regardless of sacrifices and shed their ■blood to ensure victory. In this unknown warrior the British Empire was honouring all its heroes. I Marshal Wilson’s reply was couched on behalf of the soldiers of the British Empire.

j - AT THE CENOTAPH. j A SIMPLE IMPRESSIVE j CEREMONY. A HUGE, SILENT CROWD. , (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) LONDON, Novmber 12. The Nation’s Day opened with a dead,, misty grey daybreak, but the sun shone out by ten o’clock, when Westminster was thronged by representatives of the Empire, assembled to honour the men and women, known and un- ! known who had made the great sacri- | flee' and are awaiting the great reveille.. Many people were waiting through the night in order to ensure seeing and passing of the cenotaph to-day, and depositing wreaths. Crowds will be passing for three days, all traffic being diverted from Whitehall and Parliament i Street, until Saturday. The'crowd opI posite the cenotaph were all bereaved, j and mostly women of the poorer classes i showing signs of grief and, carrying j wreaths and small bunches of flowert. ! Here also were a group of statesmen ! of the Empire including Lords Milner J and Curzon, the Speaker, other Minis- ! ters and Ex-Ministers, black coated and wearing decorations. Among these were 'Sir J. Allen, Mr Fisher and Mr Millen carrying great wreaths of laurels. Behind them was a white sur pliced choir and on the other, side of j the cenotaph were a group .of clergy, l and ministers of all denominations, inj eluding the Salvation Army headed by l the Primate and Bishop of. London. The windows of the Government offices in Whitehall were filled with faces, including Queen Mary, Queen Alexandra and Queen Maud of Norway who witnessed tlie unveiling thence, before drivj ing to Westminster Abbey. Admiral .Beatty’te windows at the Admiralty were given up to relatives of dead lower ratings. Twenty Australian and eleven New Zealand widows and mothers occupied stands outside the Colonial Office, with the Agents General’s wives. King George in a Field Marshall’s uniform with the Prince of Wales in khaki, the Duke of York, in the Air Force uniform, Prince Henry and Duke of Connaught arrived at 10.30 and took up a position on the north side of tie cenotaph, awaiting the Unknown Warrior, who was being borne on a gun carried from Victoria Station followed by a great procession of soldiers and mourners. There was a sudden silence as the Dead March in Saul, was heard in the distance. The * troops reversed arms and the music suddenly •_ stopped, and at Hkso the only soundly was the low footfall of the procession reaching the cenotaph, where it halted. Australians, New Zealand and other Dominion men following the British Army and Navy, Major Dansey, Capt. Gardiner and four men represented New’ Zealand. A feature of the procession wag the far reaching black coated line which had been ldpiki two years ago Fifteen represented the Australian Services Associationi in the procession, including a. deputation of lien. The whole, later placed a wreath on the cenotaph. When the procession halted, the fixing party marching before the gun carriage halted before the King, the coffin covered with a Union Jack, a steel helmet belt, and bayonet being placed on top. General Haig and French, Lord Beatty and five other Field-marshalls and Admirals standing behind as hearers. Tiie choir of men’s voices on the west side of the cenotaph commenced the hymn, “0 God Our Help in Ages Past” a. roll of drums heralding the verse, “Life like an evei’-rollong stream hears all her sons away.” The Primate leading the vast crowd joined in. The “Lord’s Prayer,” ended the little service.

Then there was a pause awaiting Big Ben striking the hour. As the last stroke rang out, the King turned from the coffin and pressed a button and the huge Union Jack draperies fell, revealing Luy ton’s cenotapTi. Two minutes silence followed, the officers on duty saluting and all others standing bareheaded. Then the buglers sounded the “Last Post,” and as the sound of the bugle died away, the King placed a wreath at the foot of tbe Cenotaph on behalf of the Royal Family. Hon. Lloyd George on behalf of the Government, Lord Milner and Mr Fisher advanced and deposited a great laurel wreath and spray of white flowers on behalf Australia, Sir James Allen another laurel wreath inscribed “From the Government and people of New Zealand.” The otl\er Dominions and Colonies paid similar tributes, including a party of the Australian Imperial Force who placed a wreath shaped like an Australian badge of the Rising Sun with the air picketed out in blue flowers.

As the guncarriage moved on, the King and Princes saluted, and fell in behind the coffin, the Field Marshalls, Admiral and Air Marshall marching on either aide, Sir J. Allen and Mr Fislier following with the Cabinet Ministers. So the Unknown Warrior came to Westminster Abbey. AT THE ABBEY. A SOLEMN SCENE. (Received this day at 9.30 a.m.) LONDON Nov. 11. Everybody, was seated by 10 o’clock. The grave was surrounded by a large violet carpet. It is within a dozen yards of the great western doors and under the shadow of.Weatmacott’s national memorial to /Pitt. Thus the gffeat founder of the Empire looked upon the Unknown Hero, whosfe sacrifices helped to sustain the statesman’s handiwork. Peabody, the American, and Livingstone the traveller, lie nearby. During tire arrival of the congregation the Grenadier Band played an impressive selection of funeral music and the choir sang well-known hymns. Members of the Royal family arrived at 10.30 o’clock, including the Queen of Spain, Princess Royal, Princess Maud, and the Duchess of Fife. The Royalties wore seated a few feet from the open crave. Tliey were joined by Queen Ma?y, Queen Alexandra and the Queen of Norway. The space from the nave to the choir screen was packed with privileged persons, including a great company of sol. diers’ widow's and mothers j including Mrs Dassett Smith, widow of the captain of the Otaki, and other Australians 'and New- Zealanders. Groups of seamen, soldiers, flying men and soldiers from Australia and the outer Empire were also noticeable elsewhere from the , Empire. There were on hundred able wearers of the Victoria Cross, including General Freyberg. Among the congregation were Mrs Fisher and Lady Allen. j When Big Ben boomed forth the hour ; of eleven, a sudden silence fell upon ( the congregation. It was a tense and ( solemn incident. Not a sound was heard within or without the building for two minutes. The heart of that i vast congregation joined in unison with j the prayers of hundreds of thousands j throughout the Empire in gratitude for the great deliverance, and for the eternal happiness of those who had made the great sacrifice. Looking round during this most solemn period, one could not help noticing how large was the civilian element. j Beyond the surplfced choir and Dean ( Rylesblack and Goldcope, there was not i a splash of colour. Khaki uniforms t were lost in the mass of sober black. £ It looked like an ordinary Sunday con. gregation. This was suitable to such a demonstration in a democratic age. The sentiment was quickened when the funeral procession, reaching the Abbey bv each door j moved down the ( choir and nave for there, on the W'ar w'oro flag enveloping the coffin was the I s old Crusader’s sword which was the gift j of the King, by the side of the hero’s , helmet. j Behind the casket followed the King, j as ckief mourner, supported by his i tlireo sons. j The pall bearers were Generals and Admirals. j In the procession which followed, were Cabinet Ministers, Representatives of the Army and Navy, and high . officials of State. Among the group were Mr Fisher, Mr Millen and Sir J. ( Allen. The Archbishop of Canterbury took . hia place by the side to f Dean Ryle at the head of the coffin, hut took no part in the service. At the words of committal, King George stepped forward and threw' a handful of soil brought from France into the open grave. The ordinary burial service was 'used I throughout with such hymns as “Abide With Me,” “Lead Kindly Light,” and ( “Recessional.” It was not a ceremony of great pomp, hut it was a most touch, ing function, and impersonal funeral tribute to the unknown heroes w'ho came from all parts of the Empire. AN UNTOWARD INCIDENT. (Received This Day at 12.20 p.m.l "LONDON, November 12. During the tw'o minutes silence, the offico windows of Panckhurst’s newspaper “Workers Dreadnought” were thrown open and the girl clerks began laughing dancing and singing. People in the street rushed up the stairs and fore•ed the door 9pen. Women severely handled the dancers whom the police later protected. FRANCE’S TRIBUTE. (Received This Day at 9.45 a.m.) PARIS, Nov. 11. France celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the Republic and burial of an unknown warrior. Crowds all night long passed before the cenotaph and Ministers walked bareheaded in the procession to the Pantheon ) conveying the unkown remains on a gun-carriage and Gambotta’s heart on a wreath covered waggon. There was an impressive soene in the interior of Pantheon, when M. Millerand formally received the remains of men representing two of the greatest epochs , in the history of the Republic. On M. Millerond’s left hand, four persons were seated symbolising the unknown Poilu’s family and on his right hand were seven members of Gambotta’s family.