PATRIOTISM CONTRASTS War Memento Neglected

NZ Truth, Issue 1204, 27 December 1928, Page 4

PATRIOTISM CONTRASTS War Memento Neglected

(From "N.Z. Truth's" Special Dunedin Representative). Dunedin City Corporation provides a positive example of present-day decadence of British patriotism as compared with ■■ that of our forefathers.

MOUNTED m Queen's Garden, m the heart -of the city, are a couple of 1878 cannon. Prominent and well preserved, these ancient monsters may stand for a hundred and more generations to pay tribute to the red-jacket-eel heroes of by-gone Empire battles. Across the street, huddled m a corner of the Otago Early Settlers' small garden grounds, and supported "on two wooden trestles, stands a relic of the Great War — acaptured Turkish pontoon. To the few visitors who ever pass through the small garden gate, a wooden notice-board supplies the information that the pontoon was trekked, over the Arabian Desert and used by n Turkish force m an attack on the Suez Canal, which brought the N.Z. E.F. into 'action for the first time. It would seem that the Dunedin city fathers do not realize the full historic and sentimental values of this bulletriddled i-elic of the battle which drew first blood from our gallant Main Body, troops, and but for the representations of the^ R.S.A. — which specifically requested'a concrete base for the trophy's latest resting-place — the pontoon would still be half -buried with leaves and rubbish m public gardens wherein it had been unceremoniously dumped previously. When a. shipment of Hun machine and field guns — nondescript and com-

monp-lace war .junk — was scattered round like a shower of Krupps confetti, local Bodies everywhere were breaking all concrete-mixing records m fixing; up adequate pedestals. Yet something of really historic interest almost, gets the "not wanted" label. Men of the 12th Nelson Company, Canterbury Infantry Battalion, figured m the action concerning the pontoon, so if the Dunedin authorities think it is an eye-^ore, it should be handed over to the Marlborough district. At all events, the pontoon is worthy of some definite, safe and permanent resting-place, befitting its historic importance. At the beginning of February, 1915, the Canterbury Battalion occupied positions m and around Ismailia and Lake Tismah, two platoons of the 12tn Nelson Company, under Major Brereton, being stationed at Serapeum. At 3.30 a.m. "on February 3, thirty of the Nelson boys reinforced the 62nd Punjabis Infantry, which was located on the New Zealanders' left flank, and helped to repulse a party of Jackoes who were attempting to cross the Canal m pontoons, one of which now lies neglected, m Dunedin. Private "Ham, the first New Zealander to fall m battle, received fatal wounds that day. ' Sergeant. "Billy 1 ' Williams, later a lieutenant m France, was slightly wounded.