The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” FRIDAY, JULY 1st, 1921. NAMES TO THRILL.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 July 1921, Page 2

The Guardian AND EVENING STAR, With which is incorporated “The West Coast Times.” FRIDAY, JULY Ist, 1921. NAMES TO THRILL.

(iiiADi'Ai.i.v ilie history of tin? Great War is being lecussed. The business side of the war. the actual lighting, which slowly, very slowly, forged the way to victory, produced a mass of congested matter which it has taken time to separate and Met down in right order and perspective, bate in 1919 the British War Oflice, set up an official committee to undertake the task of arraying the events of the war in which Britain was most directly concerned. This, was styled the ‘‘Battles Nomenclature Committee,'* and it has completed the task. The British forces during the four years and three months of the war participated in twenty-six land campaigns in various parts of the globe, and the official list recognises no less than sixty-one battles of major importance fought over that period. The dates and final officiril namejs— names which thrill are given in this issue. They are a record of the achievements of our race “more durable than brass,” and a proof that in those years of agony the British peoples did not spare themselves. Could they have been printed with the casual- ' ties ill each, they would have borne yet more eloipient witness to h" tenacity and lion-heartedness of the British soldier. The chid point of difficulty has keen to distinguish battles which at various dates were fought at the same place. The French have introduced a very simple system and speak of ‘‘First Yurt's”, ‘‘Second Yprcs,” and “Third Yprcs.” The British new official plan is to give the year ol the battle, in order to avoid confusion at certain points with the French names. This involves somewhat cumbersome complications where two battles were fought in the same year ?o that we shall have to sneaky* “Second Somme 1918,” using three words for the series of engagements from ' ngnst 21st. to September.- 3rd., 1918. The War Office Comntvttee charged with the duty of settling the names that will hereafter .thrill men as they appear on British cifiinurs has done its work well. Its if ask was hard, involving much discrimination. It has ranked engagements in four classes. though never in ihe past was there anything which approached the First Battle of the Somjfhe or the great struggle round Yores ' 1917 in length and casualties, ■sc the Committee considered.

hut abandoned the idea of introducing the term "battle-royal" or super-bat-tle.” After all the whole war wav a super-war, on a scale so vast a> to make a Waterloo or Inkeriiiiuin seem a pigmy affair. The list of names as published are of course but a skeleton of the great feats performed, but what memories do the names coniine up. Those opening battles of 1914 from Monto Ypros, eight giant battles in tour months representing the titanic strug,/Ie of the war. Tt was the period during which the “Contemptibles’’ stemmed the tide of the invading armies, first at Minis, and then culminating in that epic battle of Ypres when cooks and camp-followers had to be pressed into the battle-line to help hold the foe— and thank God, they held the enemy. That was the time of great crisis when the enemy was so nearly gaining the French and (Belgian coast line, nr.J breaking through to Paris. In all there are twenty-six land campaigns spread into the Far -East, and in o.ii of the way places in Africa. New Zealanders will turn to the cosMy Dardanelles campaign in 1915, and will note that tht Anzae battle was not an affair merely of the wonderful landing, but was a protracted conflict in arms of over two months. From April 25 to June 00 this notable battle went on without decisive victory, beyond the fact that tin* Now Zcaiands and their companions held on and slowly but surely made good their position, thus defying defeat. Yes. the list of bat-

tles contain many names of thrill and will add to the lustre of the British arms for all times.