Armistice Day 1918 commemorated in 1993

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 11, Issue 511, 9 November 1993, Page 13

Armistice Day 1918 commemorated in 1993

"The 1 1th Hour of the "11th Day of the 11th Month" The End of the Great War - 1918 "Troops will not, until further orders, go beyond the line reached at Ilam, on November 11." This order from Marshal Ferdinand Foch, Generalissimo of the Allied Armies, to the Commanders - in - Chief of all Allied troops signalled the end of the four years, three months and eleven days of the Great War of 1914-18. The order was issued shortly after 5 o'clock in the morning after the French Marshal, together with Britain's First Sea Lord, ViceAdmiral Sir Rosslyn Weymss, had signed an armistice with four representatives of the German Government in the saloon of his railway carriage headquarters on a siding in the Compeigne Forest. surrender The armistice, tantamount to a total and unconditional surrender, was detailed in the House of Commons by Prime Minister Lloyd George who said "Thus comes an end to the most terrible, most cruel war which has ever scourged mankind. I hope I may say, on this fateful morning has come an end to all wars." As news of the cessation of hostilities spread, the whole world rejoiced. Newspaper reports in London reportedcrowds gathered outside No 10 Downing Street "with extraordinary scenes of enthusiasm mingled with expressions of thankfulness." Throughout the day "a veritable sea of people assembled at Buckingham Palace and frantically cheered their Majesties when they appeared on the balcony", and later, a service to commemorate the n a t i o n ' s thanksgiving for "deliverance from battle, murder and from sudden death" was held in St Pauls. In South Africa there were "demonstrations of wild and unrestricted joy by all classes and faces." New York celebrated "with wholehearted, spontaneous enthusiasm and all attempt at serious work was abandoned. The city indulged in the wildest paroxysms of joy which have not been seen or heard before and joyous pandemonium reigned." triumphant In Australia "the news spread like wildfire and special editions of newspapers were being sold a few minutes later." A crowd of 200,000 attended a

demonstration in Sydney's Domain and gave a "fitting reception to a triumphant procession of returned men." From the Western Front, Perry Robinson of the "Times" reported that a great silence descended at Ilam on a historic scene at Mons when 'cease firing' was sounded. "A greater Power than ours has willed that we should finish the war here," he said. With the guns silent, British and Canadian troops solemnly paraded at 11 o'clock and it seemed incredible to stand there in the strange silence after four years." "The troops just stopped firing. There was no cheering, no excitement - nothing to do except feel glad." But in Wellington at 9am the sound of guns - the guns of peace - confirmed the rumour that the war had ended. All work in the city was abandoned. People in their thousands poured out of factories, shops, offices and homes to a raucous chorus of ships' sirens, motor horns and pealing church bells. Bunting suddenly appeared on public buildings as joyous crowds made their way through the city to Parliament Grounds. excited An hour and a half later, on the steps of the General Assembly Library, the Governor General, Lord Liverpool, flanked by Prime Minister W F Massey and a large military staff read to an excited crowd a cablegram from the Colonial Secretary in London confirming that the armistice had indeed been signed. He then read a message from the King who said, "Together we have borne this tremendous burden in the fight for justice and liberty. Together we can rejoice at the realisation of those great aims for which we entered the struggle. The whole Empire pledged not to sheath the sword until our end was achieved. That pledge is now redeemed." A happy, disordered procession of thousands wound its way back through the streets to the Wellington Town Hall where Mayor J P Luke, Prime Minister Massey, Finance Minister Sir James Allen and the President of the New Zealand Returned Soldiers' Association, J D Harper addressed a cheering crowd with patriotic fervour. There was another great procession during the afternoon to a

national thanksgiving service at the Basin Reserve. Over 10,000 people - veterans, scouts, citizens young and old, grave and gay - most armed with flags and emblems accompanied by 10 bands marched from Government Buildings to take part in a moving and impressive united service. The Rev Robertson Orr told the assembly that there had been hours when the nation was called upon to make many sacrifices and to endure many disappointments, but there had been a great multitude who lifted their voices and hearts to Almighty God, and who believed that He was good and just, and would not suffer the triumph of wrong. "They believed that their God could not look upon poor violated Belgium, suffering France, wasted Serbia, wronged Greece and tortured Armenia and permit the wrongdoers to escape punishment," he said.

rejoicing "The spirits of the dead see the rejoicings of the living this day, and will turn again to their rest with a sigh of thanksgiving." In the cities, towns and villages throughout the land enthusiastic crowds celebrated the coming of peace but in Auckland there was no public demonstration because of a Health Department edict that gatherings should not take place in view of the increasing serious influenza epidemic that was sweeping the country. In Christchurch, for the same reason, hotels were closed and thanksgiving services in churches banned although a brief openair service was held in the Cathedral grounds. The gravity of the threat posed by the epidemic could not restrain the nationwide passionate celebration of victory and thanksgiving that peace had at last come to the world. But peace came to New Zealand at great human cost. In all, over 100,000 young men left these shores for the battlefields of Europe, Egypt, Palestine and Gallipoli. The first to sail away on 15 August, 1914 - just 10 days after the news of the declaration of war was received - was an Army contingent of 1413 bound for the German colony of Samoa. Arriving on 29 August they completed the occupation of the island unopposed. Not so lucky was the next group to leave. The Main body of 8427