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ueen'5 Olint Ropat ZEZI R e n t legiment
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This r e c o r d o f s t r i k e s , c a - c a K n y a n d a b s e n t e e i s m w h i c h ,
since G o d gave u s v i c t o r y, h a s b l o t t e d t h e m o s t s p l e n d i d page
of E n g l i s h h i s t o r y, i s seen i n a l l i t s r e p u l s i v e f o u l n e s s i n t h e
A l t a r l i g h t o f t h e self-offering o f t h o s e w h o h a v e d i e d .
T h i s w a s s a i d b y t h e B i s h o p o f R o c h e s t e r, D r . C . M .
Chavasse, w h e n , o n Wednesday, a t A l l S a i n t s ' C h u r c h , M a i d -
stone, h e spoke t o a l a r g e c o n g r e g a t i o n a t a m e m o r i a l service
for t h e 100 officers a n d 1,580 o t h e r r a n k s o f t h e Queen's O w n
Royal W e s t K e n t Regt., w h o l o s t t h e i r l i v e s i n t h e w a r.
IMPRESSIVE SCENE.
I t w a s a n impressive ceremony.
The s o m b r e h u e s o f k h a k i a n d c i v i l i a n d r e s s w e r e r e -
lieved h e r e a n d t h e r e b y splashes o f c o l o u r, b y t h e r e d " t a b s "
of h i g h r a n k i n g officers, b y t h e c i v i c robes o f t h e M a y o r a n d h i s
Deputy, b y t h e w h i t e r o b e s o f t h e c h o i r a n d c l e r g y, a n d b y
the s c a r l e t c o a t o f a C h e l s e a p e n s i o n e r, w h o s a t w i t h h i s
medals a n d h i s m e m o r i e s , a m o n g t h e y o u n g s t e r s w h o a r e
the f u t u r e h o l d e r s o f t h e t r a d i t i o n f o r w h i c h h e h a d f o u g h t
so m a n y y e a r s a g o .
•
:
And o v e r a l l f l u t t e r e d t h e o l d C o l o u r s o f t h e R 3 g t . , l i t
by t h e S p r i n g s u n s h i n e w h i c h s t r e a m e d t h r o u g h t h e w i n d o w s
of t h e c h u r c h , w h i c h m a y b e s a i d , s u r e l y, t o b e t h e M o t h e r
Church o f t h e " Q u e e n ' s O w n . "
MASSED B A N D S .
F r o m t h e 1 3 t h I n f a n t r y T r a i n i n g C e n t r e , M a i d s t o n e , a n d
the 1 3 t h H o l d i n g E n . , G r a v e s e n d , h a d c o m e P l a t o o n s r e p r e -
senting t h e Regt., w i t h t h e massed b a n d s o f t h e 1 s t a n d 2 n r i
Ens., u n d e r B a n d m a s t e r s M c K e n n a a n d Jackson, w h o s e m u s i c
blended w i t h t h e o r g a n a t w h i c h s a t M r. C. K . T u r n e r.
I n t h e c o n g r e g a t i o n w e r e A l d e r m a n S i r G a r r a r d T y r w h i t t -
Drake ( r e p r e s e n t i n g L o r d C o r n w a l l i s , t h e L o r d L i e u t e n a n t ) .
the H i g h S h e r i ff ( M r . V. C o l t h u p ) , a n d h i s d e p u t y ( M r . W . H .
Whitehead), M r. A . C. Bossom, M.P., t h e C h a i r m a n o f t h e K e n t
C o u n t y C o u n c i l ( S i r E d w a r d Hardy), t h e C h a i r m a n o f t h e K e n t
Te r r i t o r i a l A s s o c i a t i o n ( A i r V i c - M a r s h a l A . E . H o r t o n ) , t h e
D e p u t y C h i e f C o n s t a b l e o f K e n t ( M r . R . C . M . J e n k i n s ) , t h e
Mayor o f M a i d s t o n e w i t h officials a n d m e m b e r s o f t h e To w n
Council, a n d m a n y p a s t a n d p r e s e n t o ff i c e r s o f t h e R e g t . ,
headed b y G e n e r a l S i r C h a r l e s B o n h a m C a r t e r, w i t h w h o m
was L a d y B o n h a m C a r t e r.
" T H E S T R I F E I S O ' E R . "
T h e service, w i t h i t s a p p r o p r i a t e h y m n s — " F i g h t t h e G o o d
F i g h t , " " A b i d e w i t h m e , " a n d t h a t w o n d e r f u l p a e a n o f t h a n k -
fulness, " T h e s t r i f e i s o ' e r t h e b a t t l e d o n e , " w a s t a k e n b y
Canon A . O. Standen, w h o , before t h e Silence o f Remembrance.
intoned B l n y o n ' s g r a n d words, " T h e y s h a l l g r o w n o t o l d . "
And earnest voices echoed t h r o u g h t h e c h u r c h : " W e w i l l
remember t h e m . "
They w e r e t h e r e t o r e m e m b e r w i t h p r i d e a n d t h a n k s -
giving, s a i d D r. Chavasse, t h e 100 officers a n d 1,580 o t h e r r a n k s
of t h e R e g t . w h o g a v e t h e i r l i v e s t o save t h e i r c o u n t r y f r o m
worse t h a n d e a t h , a n d t o preserve t h e w h o l e w o r l d f o r f r e e -
dom a n d C h r i s t i a n i t y.
For s u c h a c o m m e m o r a t i o n t h e y recognised t h a t t h e o n l y
place w o r t h y w a s t h a t a n c i e n t p a r i s h c h u r c h .
D u r i n g t h e l o n g a n d t e r r i b l e y e a r s o f t h e s e c o n d w o r l d
war t h e r e h a d g o n e f o r t h f r o m t h a t q u i e t c o u n t r y t o w n a
band o f crusaders w h o were c a l l e d t o b e a r o n t h e i r bodies t h e
wounds a n d sacrifices w h i c h were t h e m a r k o f t h e L o r d Jesus,
and every- one o f those m o u n d e d graves i n A f r i c a , I t a l y, Greece
and F r a n c e w a s a lesser C a l v a r y, m a r k i n g t h e p l a c e w h e r e
once a g a i n t h e n o b l e s t d e e d o f a l l h a d b e e n w r o u g h t , a n d a
m a n h a d l a i d d o w n h i s l i f e f o r h i s f r i e n d s .
B u t w a s t h i s a l l w e w e r e g o i n g t o d o t o r e m e m b e r t h o s e
men? D i d t h e i r e x a m p l e a n d s a c r i f i c e i n s p i r e u s t o e f f o r t s
of f o r t i t u d e a n d selflessness? W h a t c o u l d w e d o t h a t w e
should n o t b e a s h a m e d w h e n w e c a m e t o l o o k u p o n t h e s e
men w h e n w e h a d d i e d c o m f o r t a b l y i n o u r b e d s ?
" H O W S H A M E F U L "
" T h i s service t o d a y, " s a i d D r . Chavasse, " s h o u l d l e a d u s
to t h e h e i g h t s scaled b y t h o s e w h o s e s a c r i f i c e h a s preserved
us a l i v e a n d f r e e . "
" I t s e e m e d h o r r i b l e t h a t t h e m e m o r a b l e w o r d s o f M r .
C h u r c h i l l i n 1940 w h e n h e c a l l e d t h e n a t i o n t o f a c e b l o o d
tears a n d sweat, s h o u l d h a v e t o b e f o l l o w e d b y a n a p p e a l b y
the p r e s e n t P r i m e M i n i s t e r t o t h e n a t i o n t o w o r k h a r d e r.
" H o w s h a m e f u l , " c r i e d t h e B i s h o p , " t h a t s u c h a n a p p e a l
should b e n e e d e d i n f a c e o f t h e sacrifices o f o u r b e s t a n d
dearest i n t h e p a s t f i v e years; J u s t a t t h i s J u n c t i o n w h e n t h e
earth, scorched b y w a r, c a n n o t f e e d i t s s t a r v i n g m i l l i o n s a n d
when t h e w h o l e w o r l d cries o u t t o r e b u i l d a n d b u i l d b e t t e r.
"As w e r e m e m b e r those w h o r e s t i n f o r e i g n fields, m a k i n g
t h e m f o r ever E n g l a n d , l e t u s m a k e s u r e t h i s service i s n o t a
mockery a n d a f a r c e , b u t t h e r e d e d i c a t i o n o f o u r l i v e s i n
the c a u s e o f C h r i s t i a n s e r v i c e a n d b r o t h e r h o o d , f o r w h i c h
they d i e d . "
Then, a f t e r a l l h a d s t o o ã d u r i n g t h e p l a y i n g o f C h o p i n ' s
F u n e r a l M a r c h , L a s t Post, t h e Reveille, a n d t h e N a t i o n a l A n -
t h e m c o n c l u d e d t h e C o u n t y ' s t r i b u t e t o t h e g a l l a n t m e n o f
one o f i t s Regiments whose p r o u d record, u n d i m m e d d o w n t h e
years, h a s been made b r i g h t e r a n d m o r e s p l e n d i d i n t h e g r e a t -
est c o n f l i c t o f a l l t i m e .
D I S T I N G U I S H E D G AT H E R I N G
Amongst t h e Officers p r e s e n t w e r e B r i g a d i e r N . I . W h i t t y,
Brigadier P . M . R o b i n s o n , B r i g a d i e r H . S . B r o w n , B r i g a d i e r
E. S. F. H a r d y.
Colonel H A . Wa r i n g , C o l o n e l A . K . G r a n t , C o l o n e l W . V.
Palmer ( c h a i r m a n o f t h e P a s t a n d P r e s e n t A s s o c i a t i o n ) , C o l -
onel H . O . P u l v e r m a n , C o l o n e l G . E . W i n g f i e l d - S t r a t f o r d .
Lt-Colonel E . S . K e r r , L t . - C o l o n e l E . A . S h a r p i n , L t . - C o l -
onel B . L . C l a y, L t . - C o l o n e l A . H o w e , L t . - C o l o n e l J . C . P a r k e r,
I L - C o l o n e l P. H . M a c k l i n , L t . - C o l o n e l I . R . L o v e l l , L t . - C o l o n e l
K n a t c h b u l l , L t . - C o l o n e l G . E . L . P a r d i n g t o n , L t . - C o l o n e l P. E .
O. B r y a n , Lt.-Colonel F. K . T h e o b a l d , L t . - C o l o n e l H . G . Veasey
(Commanding 1 3 t h I n f a n t r y T r a n i n g C e n t r e ) .
Each o f t h e 1 0 b r a n c h e s o f t h e P a s t a n d P r e s e n t A s s o -
ciation s e n t representatives.
PEAL, O N M U F F L E D B E L L S
On W e d n e s d a y e v e n i n g , i n t r i b u t e t o t h e R e g i m e n t ' s
Fallen, a q u a r t e r - p e a l o f S t e d m a n c a t e r s w a s r u n g a t A l l
Saints' w i t h t h e b e l l s h a l f - m u f f l e d ,
The r i n g e r s w h o t o o k p a r t w e r e : Messrs R . D o m i n e y ( t r e -
ble), E . S p i t l e r, G . C a n t r i l l , T . G r i c e , H . C o a s t , L . H e a d , F .
Leeson, R . R i c h , B . B a k e r, a n d H . S m i t h ( t e n o r ) .
M r. L o u i s H e a d w a s c o m p o s e r a n d c o n d u c t o r.