Sunshine bathed the ancient time-worn walls of the Old Abbey Tower and glinted on the tall white obelisk in the centre of a little oasis of green in the town of Newtownards. It was Saturday and therefore market day. The ancient streets of Newtown were crowded with people from all parts of the Ards – a scene of bustle and animation. But there was something unusual in the air. Here and there in the throng of people strode men, and occasionally women, with rows of medals bright in the sunlight glittering on their breasts. Elderly men held themselves erect; there was a new light in their eyes, a pride in the bearing of their womenfolk.

As the morning wore on shop blinds were drawn, counting houses and offices closed their doors. A general move was made towards the Abbey, the bowling green and the tall white obelisk – the Newtownards War Memorial, erected by a grateful people and fashioned by artistic hands in memory of the men of the town who marched blithely away to the grim fields of war twenty years ago. Some there were who returned – saddened; others there were who died and now sleep in many a foreign field. On Saturday they were all there in the shadow of the Old Abbey – the spirits of that returning army side by side with their comrades and their loved ones they left so very long ago.

As the town clock chimed two one could with difficulty make one’s way through the vast crowd round the green where a hollow square was formed round the memorial two sides of which were formed by the youth organisations of the town – the Boy’s Brigade, the Boy Scouts, Rovers and Girl Guides. Down the street came the sound of music, the lilt of those undying songs of war, and over the heads of the crowd the blue and gold of the Legion Standards. With military precision the Legionaires swung through the gate in column of fours headed by Capt. Wright and formed up in serried ranks in front of the War Memorial completing the third side of the square. The Standard-bearers took up position in front and the inscriptions on their folds told that, with the men of Newtown; their comrades from the Bangor and Comber branches of the Legion had come to join in honouring their comrades of the town.

The Legion had just taken up position when in quick step a section of the newer army – beardless youth, the present regulars whose predecessors had died at Mons and Le Cateau – marched over the green headed by four trumpeters clad in their picturesque green dress uniform of the King’s Royal Rifles. They took up position on the left of the platform which was now filled with representatives of the Church, public boards and business representatives of the town.

The Ceremony

Arrival of British Legion

The clock in Conway Square chimed three. A staccato order rang out and four khaki figures wheeled and marched to their positions, one man at each of the four corners of the Cenotaph.

‘Tenshun!

With one accord the men of the Legion, the Scouts, Boy’s Brigade, Girl Guides, and regulars all sprang to attention. Lord Londonderry, Secretary of State for Air, accompanied by his helpmeet Lady Londonderry, had arrived. They were received at the entrance to the green by Captain McKinley, MC, DL, and Mr Murray (in charge of ceremonies) and escorted to the platform where they were received by Senator T R Lavery, DL, JP (chairman of the Committee), and Mr J Black (Secretary of Committee).

A hush fell on the vast crowd and then clear in the evening air came the strains of that old Covenanting Hymn, “Oh God our help in ages past,” led by a special choir conducted by Mr W L Doggart.

“Time, like an ever-rolling stream,

Bears all its sons away.”

The Speeches

The singing ceased and after a slight pause Senator T R Lavery, DL, JP, who so well loves the Ards and so vividly remembered the men who marched away, spoke with evident emotion. He said:-

My first duty is to apologise for the absence of Mr W H Simms, chairman of the War Memorial Committee. Mr Simms had, though suffering from the effects of rheumatism, meant to be with us, but a few days ago his doctor advised him to give up the idea, as he feared the results of attendance at an open-air meeting. We are all sorry he has been compelled to absent himself. I am sorry as I know he was longing to see this project completed.

I should like, even at the risk of an indiscretion, to make a slight reference to the passing of General the Rev Dr Simms and today’s ceremony. I am satisfies that but for the General’s interest and constant reference to the matter we might not, even today, have been so far advanced. It is very sad to realise that within a short period of his death he had made it known that he hoped to be present as a silent listener at today’s proceedings. I am more than satisfied, if it had been so willed that he had been spared to be with us, his presence and honoured name, carrying with it the very embodiment of goodness, would have added to the solemnity of the occasion.

At this stage of the proceedings, I desire to take the opportunity now afforded of clearing away more or less a doubt in the minds of a few of our people, as to the Town Council’s tenure of this neat and beautiful park, locally known as the “Bowling Green”.

You will all be pleased to know that the Most Honourable The Marquis of Londonderry, KG, to whom the park belonged, has made a free gift of it to the town, for all time, and free of rent. No more suitable spot could have been chosen wherein to place the memorial to brave and gallant lads.

This generous gift to a people already much indebted to the name of Londonderry is deserving of our very best thanks – the occasion prevents me saying more.

The Honour the Brave

We meet today to honour the memory of the brave lads of our town and district, who in the early days of the Great War left their homes and friends, determined to do their part to stand by Great Britain against a ruthless invasion of a desperado. Those gallant lads were animated by two great principles – patriotism and faith. They heard the call of King and Country and responded at once. For them no conscription was necessary. Voluntarily they offered themselves, their services, their all, and cheerfully laid down their lives on the Altar of Duty. They did not pause to analyse the motives that prompted the Great Sacrifice – it was enough for them that duty called, and danger threatened the land and homes they loved. They trusted in the living God, and believed in the ultimate triumph of good over cruelty, and right over wrong. They shed their blood for us, for well they knew that had the enemy been victorious, life would not have been worth living. They showed the splendid material of which the men of the Northern Province were made and the tremendous possibilities of a people whose sons could fight and die as they did.

The burdens of the War and the problems of it remain – and we all know they are many, so that this generation is not likely to forget it, but there will come a time when the last person who remembered it will have passed away, this it is necessary for us to have something permanent to tell succeeding generations of the valorous men who went from our town and neighbourhood to fight in the greatest war in history. As close as we can ascertain 1396 enlisted, of whom 316 paid the last sacrifice, and whilst we are sorry, yet we are proud of the response made by our men to Kitchener’s call for half a million men. I think I can with safety make the assertion that for the population of our town and district, the numbers who enlisted would compare favourably with any provincial town within the Six Northern Counties.

Imperishable

It cannot be otherwise than that there must be many sad and sorrowing hearts in our midst today, and, while the sorrow at the sacrifices that have been made, may be mellowed somewhat by the passing of time, the deeds that caused the deaths of loved ones will remain imperishable. Relatives, friends and companions will ever treasure their memories as men who gave up their lives fighting for a righteous cause.

In closing, I feel that all who have seen this beautiful sculpture will agree that Messrs. Purdy and Millard, Belfast, have given us a structure of real art – splendid in proportions, unique in design, and suitable for the spot on which it stands, having as a background the roofless, ivy-clad walls of the “Old Church.” It has height enough to be stately, breadth enough to be noble, and depth enough to be grand. We thank the firm for the interest manifested from start to finish, especially mentioning Mr. F. H. Purdy. 

On behalf of the War Memorial Committee, I should like very much to take this opportunity to thank all those who have assisted in bringing the scheme to completion, especially the collectors, and last, but not least, the contributors.

The Unveiling

Lord Londonderry’s Tribute

Lord Londonderry then left the platform and unveiled the war memorial. As the folds of the Union Jack fell from the monument revealing the names of those who died and those who served with the inscription, the parade sprang to attention, the guard of honour presented arms and after a few low words of dedication, Lord Londonderry saluted the monument and the Fallen.

Having performed the unveiling, Lord Londonderry said it was indeed a great honour to be asked by the people of Newtownards to unveil that beautiful memorial to those who fell in the Great War. He felt proud indeed that so great an honour should have been conferred on him, and was proud to accept their invitation to unveil the memorial, and in their words and on their behalf, offer a tribute of honour and gratitude to those who fell and whose life terminated some twenty years ago.

Continuing, His Lordship said, “As our chairman has said it is a matter of great regret (although Senator Lavery fills the post so well) that Mr Simms has found it impossible to occupy the chair, a position to which he above all other men is fully entitled. It is fitting today to think of all those names inscribed on the memorial, and on thinking of those names we are united in feeling that their sacrifice was not in vain. We are all proud of their glorious record and we are all – families, relatives and comrades – proud of their achievements. Their names were well known in Ulster, and were enshrined in the hearts of everyone in that neighbourhood. They had left a place in the hearts of their relatives and friends which nothing could fill, and their loss had caused a sadness which only time could soften in any way at all.

“Not Lost”

“We in this world,” added Lord Londonderry, “ are not strong enough to realise that the sacrifices they made are not in vain. This day has been the outcome of a Divine ordinance which we cannot say that we understand, but we do feel that we should be imbued with a faith that would make us realise that the names inscribed on this memorial are not lost to us, but that they will join with us at that ordained time when we are called upon to enjoy that life everlasting to which we know and feel we must arrive.”

That beautiful monument, the Secretary of State for Air continued, was the work of human hands. It was a fine conception of human art, and it was the most permanent monument that they could devise. “We desired,” he reflected, “that it should be as permanent as we could make it, so that those who will succeed us will know the honour in which we have held those who made the supreme sacrifice.

The Silence

An Impressive Moment

Scarcely had the words of the Marquis died away when the rumble of muffled drums and the shrill sad notes of the fifes filled the air as the Newtownards Silver Band, under the baton of Bandmaster Nesbitt, broke into the first notes of the Dead March from “Saul.” Heads were bared. Automatically the parade came to attention. The immovable figure of the sentinels at the cenotaph with heads bowed on reversed arms were emblematic of the sorrow felt by everyone present.

While the last rumble of the drums still vibrated in the air, Rev Canon T B Brown, MA, read the solemn and impressive words from the Revelation of St John, 7^th Chapter, 9^th verse. After which the Very Rev James G Paton, MC, MA, DD, an ex-Moderator who served with the Ulster Division during the War, delivered the Prayer of Dedication.

Then one of the most impressive moments of the ceremony came when Mr John J Black, UDC, read out the names of the fallen. What memories those names must have resurrected in the thoughts of the hundreds gathered in that silent throng. There were many moist eyes among the folks of the Ards when each much remembered name fell clear and sharp on the silent air. As the last name was read out the sad notes of the Last Post sobbed over the roofs of the town and along the leafy roads that would ne’er more echo to the tread of their long since silent footsteps. The long last seemingly unfinished note swept away into the skies and for two silent minutes the people of Ards remembered the dead. It was a moment of most poignant intensity. Not a sound was heard save the breeze rustling among the trees and the distant purr of the far off traffic.

Peace Our Heritage

Two Great Leaders

At last the silence ended and the Rev Thomas McIlwrath, BA, delivered an address in which he said, “I consider it to be a great honour to be asked to speak in this occasion. As a Newtownards man and as one who has lived all his life in the town it was my privilege to be personally acquainted with very many of the brave men from this district who served in the Great War and my privilege too to bid many of them farewell when leaving for the front but never one of them did I meet who seemed to wish to avoid the path of danger. I think it right that mentioned should be made today of the great work done during the War for our soldiers and their dependents by the local Association formed to further their interests and especially of the work of the Comforts Committee and those Committees in connection with the Churches of the district. That this work was carried on with much success was due in great measure no doubt to the loyalty and zeal of the lady members.

Two leaders there were in this work whose names should not be forgotten. I refer to the late Rev Dr Wright of honoured and beloved memory and the Rev Canon Whatham, whom we are delighted to have with us today. These gentlemen spared neither time nor effort in furthering the interests of the men and their dependents. The work to them was a labour of love.

The wives and mothers

Then again we should surely remember those who kept the home fires burning – the wives and mothers and sisters of our brave men. Their patient endurance, their quiet resignation, their firm loyalty and their great personal sacrifices for their dear ones who were at the front or who were prisoners of war, should never be forgotten.

This Memorial will tell to us and the coming generations of the valour of our brave men and of the cost of the precious privileges we enjoy. We may not be called upon to die for our country as they were but their example should surely inspire us to live for it and so to live as at last we hear the “Well done” of the Captain of our Salvation.

This reminder of a war waged at the cost of so many precious lives should induce each of us to seek to promote world peace, and of this I am certain that this can only and most surely be done by seeking to extend the Kingdom of the Prince of Peace. Only as the principles of His Kingdom have increasing influence and sway over the hearts of men only can World Peace be assured.

We are thankful for what our statesmen have been doing to promote the cause of peace.

Call to the Churches

We are proud of the noble part taken by Lord Londonderry in this matter. Our statesmen are willing and anxious to do what in them lies to advance the cause of peace but in my humble opinion a work remains for the Churches to do. Too long have we as Churches been content to remain within our own ecclesiastical entrenchments – too long have we been content with holding the fort. In the circumstances of the world today, there is I think a call to the Churches to arise and go forward as a conquering army to win the world for the Prince of Peace. Appearances would seem to indicate it as either that or a return to Paganism. Some think it is either that or world revolution. 169 years ago, in this very month, on this very ground where we are assembled, on this very Green, a gallant soldier of the Cross proclaimed the message of his Leader and Commander. I refer to the Rev John Wesley. His motto was “the world is my Parish,” and why was that his motto, because he wished to win the world for Christ, his Master. This should be the desire and the aim of every follower of the Prince of Peace.

In concluding, speaking now to my fellow citizens may I say in this matter every individual counts and there are without doubt as many of the Master’s followers in this district who if they yielded themselves absolutely to His guidance and grace would soon capture the whole district for Him and make Newtownards not merely a township of the Dominions of our earthly King but also a township of the Dominion of the Prince of Peace.

The Rev George F McQuitty then delivered a Peace Thanksgiving Prayer and this was followed by the singing of the Hymn-

We thanks thee, O our God, for this

Long fought-for, hoped-for, prayed-for Pace,

Thou dost cast down, and Thou upraise,

Thy hand doth order all our ways.

Then sharp and clear came the lilting notes of Reveille. The Cenotaph guard which remained with bowed heads immobile came to attention.

The Rev R J M Park, MA, delivered the benediction and then the glorious stirring chords of Land of Hope and Glory pealed out.

Handing Over Ceremony

Mr J S Moore’s Charge

The handing over ceremony then took place. Mr J S Moore, in hading over the memorial on behalf of the subscribers said:-

“On behalf of those who subscribed to this War Memorial, it is my honour to hand over to the Newtownards Urban District Council the custody and safe-keeping of this memorial erected to the memory of those who served in the greatest War of all time. And I herewith charge them that they do preserve this monument as a fitting record of what the people of the Ards and of this town did during the War.

This monument will be standing here for many generations, and future generations will look back to that which you have done for them today.

This ground, so appropriate and so entwined with the history of our town has been the gift of the noble family of Londonderry which has done so much in the past, and is still doing through the years for us all. I thank all those who subscribed for this monument and all those who collected funds. I cannot do more than thank them all.

A Precious Gift

Senator T R Lavery, DL, JP, in accepting the charge on behalf of the Newtownards UDC, said:-

It is with a great sense of responsibility I accept for and on behalf of the people of our town and district this memorial emblematic of the sacrifices of 316 of our gallant boys.

I feel I can with confidence promise that our town council and their successors will take such care of the memorial, grounds, railings, seats and trees as will prove satisfactory to our citizens, and on their behalf I thank you, Mr Moore, for this precious gift.

Spectator  4^th July 1925 page 8