THE GUARDS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 December 1928, Page 2

THE GUARDS

— *(f (Jl* I i AX !X MEM OR IA.M. ; i LORD CAVAN’S TRIBUTE. A All. HXS, October 21. It) the presence ol General tile Ear! of ( avail. Colonel ol tlut Irish Guaius. ol 1... (ommnnding ul!i< ers ot the iour Ki'imeat.s ol tiio Brigade of Guards. :ujil 0 <ir oiI;t I.oiis ol nil ranks. a memorial was unveiled to-day in the yerv centre ol the licid they won to th(> memory ol tiio members ol the Guards' I)i\Lion "ho iotmlit in tiio hem me battle.' oi lb 16. •r|io memorial cross has been raised to replace a mill earlier one which is actually standing only a few > yards away. .’liter the ,Somme battles were o\er. in the trenches themselves those who mi.Jit well he termed the .surviving officers—for the Guards had lost 2G2 oii'ners and more than 7.000 men in tiio tiack—felt that they ought not to leave tiie scene where so many of their comrades had fallen without raising some symbol 10 thqir memory. N) it was quickly decided that a pal'ti’ should go to Amiens. Major-General Sir Geoffrey Feikling. who comma uded the Brigade, ordered them to get .some good, enduring wood ami return to the spot between Ginehi and Les Hoe ill's, which marked the crest of the crucial advance of September El. There they'wore to erect the cross. This was done, and a wooden cross with a simple inscription was dug and hammered into place amid the sights and sounds of war. 'it is .'I ill there, black iCTth the passage of years, and is. to be scut to England to I lie ISrigadc depot. ij W as only lilting that the cross lo p.plnce it should have been unveiled [o-dav be Air GeoHYov Fielding himself. (t_ (no. is a simple memorial, like a .Maltese cross with one arm prolonged for a base, set at ine head of a flight ol slops and surounded by a space ol greensward absolutely at ihc roadside, so that all who pass may see it. |mv)m the steps of the cross the viewembraces great .stretches of the countryside which the Guards fought over and saved, and at least four other memorials arc- within sight, the nearest lining the great South African one below at Do!villa Wood. The unveiling was conducted with -;| K .. air of dignity which characterises

the Guards. About lot) of all ranks were present, deputations from each of the region nts having come especially from England. The presence of these tall, well-set-up men on the eve of the ceeemonv in the si reefs ol Amins stirred many memories in that city. The children looked, in particular, with wide eyes at the Allies ol whom they had hoard so much Imm 'heir pa rents

Eord Cavan opened 'he e« real.my by a reference to the "long light which brought the Allied Armies to the summit. of tbi- ridge. It was only gained after manv weeks of slubb.rn lighting against a brave and determined enemy, and oelv hv the heroic sell-sacrifice of those ol whom we now do honour was the capline of the position possible,” Lord Cavan alluded also to the [•Touch 2(it!i Corps, which under Go - oral Balfour it r. had made the attack possible by its own advance on the right. •• We never had a dtsagrecmeut; we fought as one army,” said lie. DEEDS OF DARING. Then, standing at the head of the Tops, o Ere.all guard of honour on his right and one ol his guardsmen on his left Sir Geoffrey Fcihli-ng n ealied how on a front ol 1 OHO ;• an Is the Guards were enfiladed on both flanks, and how the enemy flanking positions were not captured. And so the Guards had to go forward with fire on their lrout and from both, sides.

There were many deeds of daring, and he quoted the Army Order m which General Sir Henry Rawlinson, niter the action, tendered his congratulations and thanks to the brigade “for their exemplary valour.” The Rev. P. ALu'CermLk. assisted by’ oilier chaplains. dedicated the memorial, and drummers ol the lour regiments • mb"! the Brigade Call, the “East L si." ml (he Reveille. Two Scots Guard ■ ! ' 'ers and one Irish Guards piper played “The Flo .'.ers o' I he Foi'cT ' lament. The wreath-laying which followed was carried out with unusual impressiveness. Lord Cavan si rode to the head of the steps and in a clear voice said. “1 am c •inr.miided by his Majesty the King to place this wreath upon the monument.” The King is Coloiiol-in-Chief of the Foot. Guards. Lieut-Colon-ol Leathern and Colonel Lord Henry Gevmnui' made similar announcements on. behalf of the Prince of Wales and of the Duke of Connaught, and so. with annoilncement following announcement.

Among them were tributes from the Old Coni miles’ Association and the Grenadier Guards and Scots Guards, deposited by delegates in the one case and by Regimental Sergt-.Major Macdonald in the other. A touching finish to the ceremony was given by the placing ol bunches of llnwers by little boys and girls ol Gincliy and Les Roeul's on the base of the memorial.