Presentation

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Volume 58, Issue 71, 26 April 1929, Page 8

Presentation

IMPRESSIVE CEREMONY Hawke's Bay Regiment's Battle Coiours MAGNIFICENT SERYICE

The sun did not leave its mantle oi clouds yesterday, and thc rain, i'alling since early morii, traiislonned ihe AYaipukurau racecourse, proviotisly a tirm set plain, set in the heautiful Hatuma Yalley, into a waler-soaked liiire. Tliis. however, did not affrct the attendance which gathcred iu the alternooii to witness the presentation to the 1st Hawke's Bay Rogiment of thc King's eolours and battle coiours won hy past and present iiiembers oi the regiiuent tluriiig the Great War. Some there were present iu person who participatcd in thoso four grim vears of struggie, hut the thousands who were swept in the whirlpool of war to their i'ate and whose bodies now lie over distant seas were, mayhap, Iiresent in spirit and watched from the lieights the homago that was done to tlieir memory. • As if a. divine condemiintion of war was scnt i'rom heavcn tho rain fell uic-essantly from the gloom overhead. Yet as though a hlessing 011 the coiours an'd a trihute to those who gave their lives the heavens held their rain while thc actual ])resentation took place and ; tho voice of the Bishop of Waiapu, in his consecratiou ceremony, broke the : dead silence which reigucd o'cr the j Lhrong. Dry clothes and feot were few and far bctween and dry eyes were equally searce. Those who could not obtain seating aceoinmodation in the grandstand and other huildings stoo(l six deep round the course, motionless, disregardiug all but the solemn ceremony that was heing euacted heforc them, and to liiany as the.v stood there there camp memories of 14 years ago, and as they stood and thought those far awav times seemed as yesterday. All tho years since then had faded, and once again thc tragedv and. glory of Gallipoli and other eampaigns were fully realised. While among thc gatliering some slight movemcnt could be discerned out on the course there stood GOG men and not a stir among tliem until .the word was given. Then, like one, the command was earried out, and once again the troofis stood silent and motionless. Four days ago these G00 men knew nought of what they had to do or what was expeeted of them. Yet in that short space of time enthusiasm and determi nation to pay just tribute to tlie gallant efforts of those who fouglit did what nothing else could have done, and the intricate formations were execnted without a liitcli and ivithout an unnecessary move. * clorious sicht. It was a magnificent sight that mnst have swelled the pride and stirred the hearts of everv man and woman present and if, as itis niceto think, the army of our dead was there in spirit, then they too must have felt a glow of happiness and satisfaction in the knowledge that their actions of self sacrifiee, brotherly love and gallantrv were not in vain ; that they were remembered by those tliey left behind and tliat in tlieir place there had arisen another army, respecting their memory and the traditions which have been set them and ready, aye, cager if necessary, to lav down their lives that right may be upheld, even as tliey dicl themselves. battalion concratulated. It is not easv to imagine or picture the ceremony as it took place ; far less simple is it to describe it, but the officient spirit, and steadiness of the troops were such as to warrant a slight interruption at the conclusion of the actual presentation, while General Young tendered his hearty congratulations to the battalion. T,atcr 011 in the cereinony the General addressed the troops, reealling the days of 14 years ago, when he was in comma nd of the Hawke's Bay division at Gallipoli. It was tho New Zealanders' first ehance to show what tliey ere made of and their reputation of being second to none. gained during that campnign. was well deserved and well lived up to. glory in defeat, The campaign, he recalled, failed in its ob.jective because the opposition provecl too strong and the troops were not sufficient for the enemy. It was not always that glory showed up hest j ti victory, however. All the hest sides of manliood were revealed in defeat. Tlius the true worth of the Xew Zealandei's was realised bv the failuro of ihe Gallipoli campaign. The battle honours cmhlazoned on j the coiours were won and earned at great cost — the lives of the gallant men of Hawke's Bav who answered i v. ithout liesitation the call of thc j "Motberland for tho defence of right incainst the powers of wrong. The tra- ' ditions set bv those men were nf the I highest standard and it was up to ihe i \011th of Xew Z ea land to maintain ; them in peace and, if necessary, in consecration. The oonsecration was performed hy the Bishop of AYaiapu, who was assisted hy tlie Rev. Drake. After the hlessing tlie eolours were presented to the suhaltern officers hy General Young. the officers receiving the coiours on bended knee. fine performance. The battalion was divided into two seotions for tlie ceremony, the intricate task of escort to the coiours heing undertaken hy A Company, consisting of 70 men from Napier and district. Ihe rest of the battalion formed the guard and were paraded at the back of the eeremonial ground, facing the stand, while the escort executed various movemeiits connected with the rolinquishing of the old coiours and the presentation of the new ones. While the escort had 'more to lcarn and a greater amount to do than the rest of tho battalion, those who formed ihe guard had as difficult a task, namely, that of standing still for long periods during the ceremony, which, in all. occ-upied a little over an hour. The whoie performance of the battalion was exeellent and reeeived generous a)iplause from the speetators, about 6000 in nUmber, when the final march off took place. The efforts of the Begimental Band must not he overJooked, and their rendition of various marches. salutes. etc.. formed a rital part 111 the success of the ceremony. General Young was accompanied by Brigndier YThite, while C'olonel Cunninghnm, in commnnd of the battalion. wns present. together with Colonel Gambrill and Colonel Hart. impressive sicht. A most impressive sight was that of

the battalion in line at tlie rear of the j parade ground, the double row covering a line of some 600 feet, while periiaps tlie most spectacular movemeut was at the very end, when the whole j battalion, 111 double line, advauced in line to tlie saluting base in front of the grandstand and presented arms before the Union Jack, which was ! hoisted 011 a flagpole which had been 1 erected in tlie eentre of the parade ! ground near the stand, General Young I taking tlie salute. j Thc march past of Ihe coiours and the escort, slow march and quick. march, was also most impressiye and the manner iu which they were executed deserved tlie highest praise. inspiration. As soineonc was overheard to sajbefore the day, the very fact of seeing : the coiours, so magnilieently won by the blood and self-sacrifice of our fellow men aikl in some cases relations, in front of us was eiiough to make any man worthy of the liaine hold up his ! liead, tlirow out his chest and do his 1 utmost to do adeqii-.Vie honour to j thcir tradition and all the glorious 1 attributcs which tliey represented. | There, hy the lake. tlie footliills leading bark to the runges barely visihle through tlie euveloping mist, the men of the 1st. Battalion, HaAvke s Bav Rogiment, did honour and paki trihute to the memory of their glorious fellow men — the priee — the lives of their brothers, fathers, relations and fricnds ; the reward — thc peace and seeurity of Xew Zealand and the Empire and the glorious traditions which will remain as an uplifting inspiration for ever. the morning service. In the morning the annual Anzac Day parade and service was held in thc grandstand, the weather being too wet to hold. it in the open air as was originally intended. It was an impressive service, tho prineipal feature heing an address hy the Bishop of AYaiapu. I11 commencing his address, the Bishop said that the scrvice was one of memory of a great past of those who found lonely graves in France, Flandcrs and Gallipoli : and also of those whose courage and self sacrifiee liad resulted in victory i'or tho Allied causc. Some of those who fouglit were present and ihe fine actions of courage and fellowship would he indelibly printed on their minds for ever. day of memory. It was a day of memory of a courage that transcended all the courage of the centuries whicli. had gone hy. AYe saw manv memorials all over the Empire, a stately column here — a modest cross at some wayside country spot — yet all these were to commemorate tiie fallen of the particular place at whicli they were erectcd. Anzac Day, however, was to pay tribute to the memory of all those who iell during the war that their names should never be forgotten and that onr children and children's children should remember the magnificent actions which were perpetrated in order that the freedom of their country and Empire might remain secure and in order that if, in the fnture, they should he called upon to fight, tliev would be stirred to equal courage. and worthily uphnlcl the traditions whicli were handecl down to them. Moreover Anzae Day was a memorial, before God. of a. magnificent nianhood who fouglit and suffered for rishteousness and right. and to thank Him for the magnificent courage imhued in the men. There should reallv be no sadness ahout Anzac Dav. Tt was a day of glory. If the Allios had turned away there might be reason for sadness hut witli a fixed nurpose ahead tliev stood steadfast until the right of their battle had been established and the glory of victory achieved. sentiment. Tt was not for him to distinguish the causes which made the manliood oi the Empire answer tlie call, but it was sentiment that was the greatest urge. Sentiment was tlie greatest power in the world and it was on sentiment tliat the British Empire was built and guarded. Devotion to country and King had resulted in the magnificent rcply to the call i'or aid. It was this sentiment which we wanted to 1'oster in the hearts of our children. No man who ever went to the war ever regretted going and no man who fell during the war regretted it. It was a glorious thing to die for one's .country and that sentiment had heen the ruling l'eature throughout the four long vears of struggie. past, present and future. "Xot only have we to think of a glorious past hut a living present and an unknown future, and God grant that when the Lorcl comes to earth the Union Jack may still be flying over the British Empire and her Dominions." It was not 011I.V the duty of the youth of New Zealand to build the Empire and defend it, but also to enricii it. Xo one had ever rightly upheld war. War was a tragedy and the words of Our Lord should he sufficient to slieath lali swords through the ages. It was not an act of eivilisation. Rather was it the essenee of savagery. Nevertheless it gave manliood a cliance of manifesting its courage and capahilities. "i serve."

Courage, self-sacrifice and comrade-f-hip were wanted in the world more than an.vthing else and the motto of our young Princc, "I serve," should become the motto of every young man ui tlie Empire. Brotherhood sliould hegin witliin the breast of every youth and man and tlie hand of brotherhood be extended to help, regardless of stntion. Tt had heen his honour to be ehosen to consecrate the coiours. They stoo-l for all that was gallant, magnificent and courageous, and though, perliaps ti 10 coiours themselves might fade w ith time, their synibol would remain the samo everlasting.