HONOURING THE FALLEN.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 2492, 12 October 1922, Page 4

HONOURING THE FALLEN.

MEMORIAL TO NEW ZEALANDERS Sl'KKCli UY SIR FRANCIS IiKI.L. PARIS. Got, 0. Sir Francis Hell, speaki'ite at the unveilin*;- of Iho memorial at Lotiruovai. expressed thanks on behalf of tin- people of New Zealand to the Government of France and the Prefecture o'f Somme fur permission to erect a memorial to the New Zealand soldiers. lie deeply npnroeiated the honour France had conferred nputi tin m ,■ind valued the privilege of hating tin ■>' services with the armies ol l'rniee toes recorded on one of the historic I noth' fields, lie also thanked the French generals for at tending to do honour to their comrade ■ in the vU'oai ar. Sir I'rancis Hell paid a te ui General Godley, under whom the unit lost trained. The- ntemoi.itd was a I'eooru *»1 the living and the dead. it aidle vaunt of any part that Ni w Zealand took in the endeavour to do ns dt.ty i the .Empire and the Allies, i .1 ot tee pa (lon.title pride in the men whose eon rage and devotion made the division memorable. _ . , 1 The memorial stands on the site »1 ire Switch Trench, the main objective of 'ho New Zealand Division in the attack ..n 15iit September, 1916. 011 the German hues, lasting' 23 days, wherein 60 ollicefs and 1500 men were killed, with a total TOO' casualties. “We who erect the memorial will never forget our soldiers’ deeds in France. S’ Francis Hell- concluded. ■ “Ifritain atm Fiance may often diller to the fiitme. ht t both have learned'that the fnlt re civilisation and the very oxi-tence ol liberty no pend on their unity. The memorial ah- ' will emind ottr children of the albr.n o uiiieh preser'.eil freedom at the promt and can alone- maintain tl m the lul.uy.. Sir Janies Alien thanked 'he nmti'cipalily of J.ongttevti 1 and \ icomte d Anec'r. the former owner ol the land, lor ass.stance in securing the site tor the memorial —A. and N.Z. cable.