SANDON’S WAR MEMORIAL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XLVI, Issue 2779, 2 September 1924, Page 3

SANDON’S WAR MEMORIAL.

UNVEILING CEREMONY.

As a fitting tribute to the boys of the Sand on district who went' to the war—and twelve of whom made the supreme sacrifice —the -residents of. the locality recently erected a memorial fence and gateway in front of the Sandon school, which has-re-cently hCen re-built. The memorial, which cost in- the vicinity of £2OO, was unveiled by Major-General Melvill, on Sunday, in the presence of a large and historic gathering. On each of the four pillars of the gateway, is a marble tablet, bearing the names of (lie fallen and' also of those who went, served and returned, while on a main tablet in front is the following inscription: “This fence was erected by the residents of Sandon and district to the glory of God, and in memory of those men who fought and died for their countin' The motherland called

and they went. . . .1914-38.” The names of the fallen are: —E. Henson, A. R. Harris, E. J. Peacock H. Schultz, A. A. Schultz, J. Witt, P. R. Andrew. TL A’Court. A. Behront, W. Behrent. G. IT. Gifford, and M. L. Good. In conjunction with the unveiling cerqmony there was held a religions service over which Rev. H. A. W!nlke officiated, assisted by Rev. W. S. Neal.

Tn addressing the .gathering, Mr W. E. Pearce, chairman of the War Memorial Committee, recalled the great service of the New Zealand boys in the great war. “Our boys.” he said, “responded to the cal] of Empire wonderfully well, and I think that if such a call should ever come again, we would find that the young men would respond just as these have done.” Following upon one minule’s silence, Major-General 0. W. Melvill, delivered a stirring and impressive address. “To those who have lost the hoys near and dear to them.” he said, “there is no necessity for the memorial. for their names will ever live in their memories, but if is (lie young people whom we want to feel will never forget the brave deeds of their forefathers. Certainlyjnany of those who left these shores did so in the spirit, of adventure, but the .vast majority of them did so with a stem sense of duty and loyalty to the Empire to which they were proud to belong. To show that the spirit is,still the same, when the Turkish crisis was over our heads two years ago, no less than 15,000 men registered their, names for service within a few days.” The General then unveiled the memorial.

In n short address to the children Mr B. J. Jacobs, president of the Palmerston N. R.S.A., spoke of service and self-sacrifice. Mr J. Linklater, M.P., said that on such an occasion it was fitting when reading the names of the fallen of the district to recall that many of the New Zealand boys now rested in graves in various parts of the world. It was gratifying therefore to knew that the War Commission had done much towards the care of those resting places. Tn the erection of simple tombstones, no discrimination had been made as regards rank —general and private receiving the same headstone. They had also to consider the living, and he hoped that when the warriors of the great ynr grew old —some of them still bearing their permanent incapacities of the struggle, others devoid of robust health —that the younger generation would ever have a kindly word for them in honour of the great work.they had accomplished. This was not a time for mourning. Rather was it one for rejoicing, for the sacrifices of the men bad made the way for a new peace which, the speaker fervently hoped, would be everlasting. Further hymns, the benediction and the sounding of the “Last Post” by Bugler F. W. Tostevin, concluded the gathering.