MEMORY OF SOLDIERS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 June 1921, Page 4

MEMORY OF SOLDIERS.

A SERVICE AT OMATA. St. John's Church, Omata, was crowded yesterday afternoon by settlers from all parts of the district to take part in the dedication of a memorial brass to John Jennings Crompton and Thomas Solly Crompton, sons of the late Mr. Jardine Crompton, who died in France during the war. The Rev. T. Young took the first part of the short evening service, and the well-known hymns, O God Our Help in Ages Past”, “Soldiers of Christ Arise”, and “’Fighit the Good Fight”, were sung. Archdeacon Evans dedicated the memorial tablet, and offered up prayers for the bereaved and thanksgiving for the noble men who. had sacrificed their lives in the cause of justice and righteousness. In'the course of a short address the Archdeacon referred to the worthiness of those whom they had come to honor that afternoon. 'They were worthy sons of very worthy parents, who had done their duty to the church and to the country. He told how well those two young men had acted in their young days, and how they had gone at the call of duty to fight for their country, and how worthy they were of any honor we could give them.

The preacher then took a wider view of the conduct of our young soldiers during the course of the war, pointing out how self-sacrificing, cheerful and long-suffering they had been under all the difficulties and dangers of the campaign on the various fronts, illustrating by several touching anecdotes. Mr. Pearson presided at the organ, and the National Anthem was sung at the close of the service.